





jBk ; ~' J 


* > 


>~J&*^' y > 


i 


Kf^V 4 




^ jp 




f^fey 




(L'^mSl ^^^ 




^T^ 4. 


n 


^^<\^C3 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap.__.„..' Copyright No. 



Shelf. 



Sl&6W( 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




ra 





REV. P. CAMERON SCOTT. 



flbromoteb ! 



OR 



A BRIEF LIFE SKETCH OF 



fl\ Cameron Scott 

-i 



BY 
MRS. E. M. WHITTEMORE 



Door of Hope Publishing House \ ^ v * 

1 02 East 61st Street 
New York 







copyrighted, 1897, Mrs. E. M. Whittemore 






rJ 



Ever filled with God's Spirit, 
And thus kept by His power, 

He walked daily with Jesus 
From hour to hour. 

When his final summons came, 
" To th'Eternal City fair," 

For the sake of that dear Name 
He gladly entered there. 

Dead ! Oh no ! Not so, not dead, 
Neither lost nor gone indeed, 

But with Christ the Living Head, 
From every earth-care freed. 

Just Divinely appointed 
In that great Presence to be, 

He was simply promoted 
" From glory to glory." 






^Dedicated to the loved {Mother 

of him whose 

memory is dear to thousands 






CHAPTER I. 
" fbete 1F am, 3LorD, use me (n life or fceatb," 

THIS, the last entry in the diary of Peter 
Cameron Scott, to us who loved him 
and knew him best, was Just what could 
have been expected might be written, as daily 
the one engrossing thought of his heart was, 
how to accomplish the most for God, and, as 
each available opportunity was presented, re- 
gardless of self, this devoted young servant of 
Christ would eagerly seize it, and utilize such 
moments to the up-building of the Kingdom in 
others. 

He was born in Scotland March 7th, 1867, 
and through the prayerful and careful training 
of godly parents entered into what will ever be 
recognized as a most wonderful and remarkable 
life for the Master, one which has already in- 
fluenced thousands for good, and who can esti- 
mate what may not yet be accomplished 
through his death, in answer to believing 
prayer. 



6 " PROMOTED. 

A good old custom of the Scottish people is 
to early acquaint their children with the place 
of worship, so accordingly, at the age of two he 
was taken to the house of God, and though too 
young to appreciate what was transpiring dur- 
ing those hours when seated by his mother's 
side, there crept into his childish mind from 
time to time as the years went by (through that 
very regular attendance) a holy awe and rever- 
ence for the sanctuary which nothing ever ob- 
literated. 

When only three years of age he met with, 
but what for the love of God, might have 
proved a fatal accident, in being run over 
across the back by a heavy cart-wheel, and un- 
doubtedly his sufferings later on in life were 
caused by some injury then received, but from 
which he was also graciously delivered, as will 
be seen further. 

Even when a little fellow, though full of all 
sorts of boyish pranks, and entering into many 
mischievous pleasures, he was so upright and 
loving that somehow, he commanded the re- 
spect of his youthful companions, and was re- 
garded in the light of a leader in all their 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 7 

games, etc. In fact, he won the admiration of 
yotmg and old through his daring fearlessness 
and determination of disposition. 

Shortly after entering school ; one, of his 
grandest characteristics, began to assert it- 
self, namely, unselfishness and a very positive 
consideration of others, especially marked 
toward those who were unable to defend them- 
selves. Before graduating this became more 
and more noticeable upon numerous occasions. 

When but twelve years of age (not being 
overfond of study) he set about to bring things 
to a crisis, and through some tremendous ef- 
forts upon his part, in a very short space of 
time was able to pass the somewhat rigid ex- 
amination of the Sixth Standard, which, as a 
rule, was never attempted until after fourteen 
years of age in the school. He came off with 
flying colors and with the desire to begin life in 
earnest. 

During those early school days he became 
quite an athlete, furnishing sport more than 
once by his courageous feats to his fellow- 
students. 

In November, 1879, th e entire family came 



8 iC PROMOTED." 

over to this country, settling down for a time in 
Philadelphia. At fifteen years of age he united 
with one of the Presbyterian churches of that 
city, more, though, from a sense of duty than 
from any great change of heart, and, as many 
a young Christian has done before and since, he 
followed more the light that came from the 
pulpit than from Christ Himself, though per- 
fectly honest in desiring to live up to his pro- 
fessions. In so doing, many failures were the 
results, as to what he considered a Christian's 
life should be. Ob, that all might learn the 
great necessity in the very beginning when 
reaching after God to keep their eyes looking 
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their 
faith, following nor seeing no man save " Jesus 
only." How many discouragements could be 
averted, and how much greater would such lives 
tell to the glory of God. 

Soon afterwards he was accepted as a solo 
singer in one of the largest churches in Phila- 
delphia — he had a most exceptional voice, 
which was carefully trained by one of the noted 
Italian teachers. The solemnity of the ser- 
vices there filled his young heart with holy 
awe, often causing him to exclaim to himself, 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 9 

while taking part in the exercises, " This is the 
house of God, worship thou Him." 

Shortly following this he had an almost un- 
heard of offer for one so young, of $50 per 
week and expenses met, if but consenting to 
sing upon the stage for public concerts, etc. In 
a high state of exaltation, not with the thought 
of becoming prominent in the eyes of people, 
or attracting attention to himself, but that he 
might be able in a little way, through the 
remuneration thus received, to express his ap- 
preciation for all his dear parents had so wil- 
lingly expended upon the cultivation of his 
voice, he hastened to carry the news home. 
His disappointment, however, can hardly be 
expressed when he was met with a decided re- 
fusal from both father and mother to enter into 
any such engagements, giving as a reason that 
no son of theirs could ever receive their con- 
sent to use in such a promiscuous and worldly 
manner what God had given to be utilized alone 
for His glory. 

It was not long, before repeatedly, he had 
cause for thanksgiving and praise, that through 
their wisdom and council his steps were guided 
once again into the right direction. 



CHAPTER II. 
"f am tbe Xorfc tbat bealetb tbee."— Ex. xv: 26. 

WISHING to be independent at the age 
of sixteen, he took a position in a 
printer's office, though he found it daily 
most humiliating and trying to his ambitious 
nature. But with a determination to succeed, 
he smothered his pride and did all that was re- 
quired, and after two years was able to secure 
what might be regarded as a most excellent 
opening for any young man. During that 
clerkship in this latter office especially, God 
kept him most true to his principles, never 
being ashamed to stand up and openly rebuke 
sin among those who labored with him, and by 
so doing he acquired the name of " the little 
preacher." Through the failure of this house 
he entered another of a similar character, when 
among the workers there, a spirit of jealousy 
arose shortly afterwards. Some of the men 
decided one morning to play a joke upon him 
by accusing him publicly of stealing a dollar. 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. II 

All day this miserable joke was kept up. With 
a speechless feeling of shame to think that any- 
one coming from such an honorable family as 
his could be thought guilty of such a charge, 
towards the evening the tension became so 
great though old as he was, the tears could not 
be prevented falling down his face. The men, 
upon noticing this and perceiving no spirit of 
retaliation, deeply repented, and confessed their 
part in the matter, and from that day perfect 
peace reigned amongst them. 

Although taking an active part in the Sab- 
bath school all this time, way down in his heart 
there was a certain longing to have things differ- 
ent, and, being most devotedly attached to 
music still, once in a while he would gratify it 
by attending the opera, not realizing what his 
influence might mean to others in going. 

[n 1887 his health became so impaired he was 
obliged to give up business, suffering very in- 
tensely through a most serious affection of the 
kidneys, and finally was ordered back to his 
native land, though little hope was entertained 
for an ultimate recovery; in fact, he had doubts 
of ever looking into the faces of his family 
again as he bade them adieu and sailed away. 



12 " PROMOTED. 

One day, kneeling down at the grave of his 
little sister at Janeville cemetery, weary and 
sick, after praying awhile, he promised God if 
his life was spared it should be His for service. 
From that hour his health began to improve, so 
that by 1888 he returned to Philadelphia and 
took up his work once more. But after a little 
somehow he forgot that vow. Only every now 
and then this verse of Scripture would keep re- 
peating itself to his mind, " Ye are not your 
own, ye are bought with a price." I Cor. 
6:19, 20. How he longed to have it explained. 
And yet, though it created within many an 
anxious thought, the matter was kept buried in 
his own heart. Once he even tried to erase 
that text from his testament, thinking thus to 
quiet his conscience. Soon his health again 
began to fail and being unable to attend to 
business, for nine months was on the invalid 
list once more. 

In March, 1889, he first listened to some teach- 
ing upon Divine healing, but not being in a spirit 
for, prayerful investigation censured all who ac- 
cepted this truth, and those who taught it, re- 
garding them as a set of fanatics, and deciding 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 13 

to have nothing whatever to do with such 
people, 

Just about this time, noticing an advertise- 
ment for chorus-singers, and being unable to 
do any manual labor, with a desperate feeling, 
and without mentioning the matter to anyone, 
he went down town with the purpose of actually 
offering his services. Upon ascending the steps 
of the Opera House, God, in a most miraculous 
way, through the power of the Holy Ghost, 
stayed his course. " It was a still, small voice/' 
indeed, as he often said in referring to it, but 
nevertheless forcing its way into his innermost 
being, the thought came, "Are you going to 
glorify God by going in there ? " Not at first 
recognizing the voice, he started once more up 
the steps ; yes, even a second and third time, 
when a feeling of conviction crept into his 
heart — it was the Lord, and turning around 
abruptly, he descended, saying within himself, 
"No, Lord, I shall never go into such a place 
again," From that moment, the peace of God 
which passeth all understanding, entered into 
his life, as he had never known it before, and 
with rejoicing he became indeed a new creature 



14 PROMOTED/ 7 

in Christ, and instead of acting upon the former 
instincts, he returned to the place he had turned 
from for the purpose of enlightening himself 
regarding Christ as " the Healer/' and through 
several conversations held with one of God's 
dear servants, he was led one night to kneel 
down in his room with his Bible for a guide, to 
search into the possibility of accepting the Holy- 
Ghost as his teacher, and to reign in his heart. 
By three o'clock that morning he rose, exclaim- 
ing, as he often stated since, in these words : 
"The Lord is for the body, and the body for 
the Lord. Christ is the head of the Church, 
and He is the Saviour of the body/' Eph. v : 23. 
At that moment the promise made to God in 
the little Scottish Cemetery came vividly back 
to remembrance, and once more, but without 
any reservation, he gave himself up to that 
God for life or death, and from that moment 
realized he was indeed no longer his own, but 
the property of Him whom he loved. 

For four years he had been obliged to use 
glasses (and though suffering most intensely in 
his body, as well as with his eyes, for three long 
weeks after this memorable night, apparently 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 15 

growing worse), he became convicted about 
wearing them any longer. After a consider- 
able struggle he finally decided to commit even 
his body very specially to God for healing. His 
eyesight was not only restored, but his physical 
condition changed, and in less than two weeks 
all trace of the former troubles disappeared ; 
still, when referring to this healing, the physi- 
cal blessing then received, was never dwelt 
upon half so much as the uplifting of Christ in 
his spiritual life, for with both came the crowd- 
ing out of the love for the world, and an intense 
longing created to tell the glad news to all of 
the complete redemption of a Saviour's love, 
He was indeed from that time promoted, in 
more respects than one, as never before, out of 
the self -life into the Christ-life, and prepared 
thus to proceed "from Glory to Glory." 



CHAPTER III. 

"Gbe banoeet truls te plenteous, but tbe laborers 
are tew/'— Matt. ix : 37. 

IT was not long after this before the Lord be- 
gan laying upon his heart "the regions 
beyond," and his attention became attracted 
especially to the dark Continent, but when the 
thought of Africa came before him, he would 
in various ways endeavor to escape from just 
going for service in that direction, thinking pos- 
sibly at first of the difficulty of acquiring an 
unknown language, more than of the Lord ; be- 
sides he had always entertained more or less an 
antagonistic feeling towards the colored race. 
But through various promptings by God's Spirit, 
bringing to his remembrance certain passages 
of Scripture, such as, " Go, and I will be with 
thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say," 
Exodus iv : 12, "And be not afraid of their 
faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith 
the Lord, "the love of God which was im- 
planted already to such an extent in his heart, 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 1 7 

began so to assert itself, that not many months 
elapsed before he was actually on his way to 
Africa, and was enabled to plant, with God's 
help, the standard of the Lord Jesus in more 
than one place in that dark land, where the 
name even of Christ had never yet been heard. 

During his time of training for the work, he 
would spend from three to seven hours daily at 
his old business, wishing to be responsible for 
every needed expense. Up at six in the morn- 
ing starting at his work, though often down in 
the slums of Mulberry Bend during the night, 
working for the Master among the very lowest 
classes. His visits there among the degraded 
ones will long be remembered in more than one 
heart, and undoubtedly throughout Eternity f 
he will from time to time shake hands with 
many he was instrumental in pointing to the 
Lamb of God in those awful dark haunts of sin 
upon earth. 

Instead of continuing the three years' course 
of training, as at first intended, God having so 
laid upon him the needs of Africa, he finally, 
after three weeks' further waiting for light, 
wrote to his parents in reference to it, 



l8 " PROMOTED." 

giving in detail concerning the special leadings, 
etc., but feeling at the same time he must also 
have their approval. The next mail brought a 
most beautiful letter from his dear mother (who 
not only had consecrated all her children even 
before their birth to the Lord for whatever 
service might bring the greatest glory to His 
name, but has since gone forth herself with her 
Godly companion and youngest daughter, to 
that same dark Continent, to there labor for 
Christ), the substance of which was, " The day 
you left home to go to the College, going into 
my room, on my knees, I gave you up more 
than ever to the Lord, to go wherever He 
might call you." 

This message acted like an inspiration, and 
the result was, the presenting of himself at once 
with fourteen other students for Africa. After 
a somewhat lengthy examination he was the 
only one accepted. From that moment until 
he sailed, his life was used more than ever in 
the salvation of many precious souls, up and 
down town . One or two little incidents might 
be given out of hundreds. During a short 
service that was being held in one of the vari- 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 19 

ous sub-cellars in the lower part of the city, 
while others were singing, " Where is my Wan- 
dering Boy to-nigh t," he quietly stole up to the 
side of a young man of about twenty years of 
age, and asked, " Are you that wandering boy ? " 
The tears started to the fellow's eyes, and a few 
moments later he was born into the Kingdom, 
and it was discovered he was none other than 
the son of a Presbyterian Elder, who had wan- 
dered away from God, like many boys of his 
age, step by step, until he had become almost 
hopeless. 

Another night, seated on an old soap-box or 
deal table, with a crowd of drunken men and 
women about him, he spent hour after hour ex- 
plaining in his earnest, straight-forward man- 
ner, as he had often done before to them, by 
the power of the Holy Ghost, the simplicity of 
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the 
promise, that "Whosoever believeth on Him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
And though invariably listened to by these 
motley groups with most respectful attention 
(and who can tell what it will all mean later on 
for the glory of God?) one night one of the 



20 '* PROMOTED." 

owners of a Cherry Street Dive entered — a very- 
powerful man — and suddenly taking him by 
force, hurled him through the door, and when 
landed in the gutter, followed him out with 
abusive language. In reply, this brave boy 
simply handed him a tract, stating if he did not 
care to read it then, he might later on. This 
only had the tendency of infuriating him the 
more, and beside himself with passion, he 
threatened to injure him badly if he would not 
leave the place. But when upon being informed 
that he had a right if he desired to put him off 
his own property, but had none whatever to in- 
terfere with anyone on a public thoroughfare, 
he was silenced, and this young Disciple of 
God remained for some length of time after- 
ward, distributing tracts from that gutter to 
everyone who passed by. 

The one great secret for a successful worker 
was truly early learned of keeping the self quiet 
and allowing God to speak through even his 
very actions. 



CHAPTER IV. 

" /l&E ©odsball supply all sour neeD according to 
bfe rtcbee in glor^ bs Gbrfst Seeue."— Phil. iv:ig. 

THAT summer, before leaving America he 
was greatly used in many cities and towns 
outside of New York, and during an all- 
day meeting he held in Worcester, God so spoke 
to the heart of Mr. J. P. Grosvenor that he vol- 
unteered to support him as his Missionary for 
one year, at least, when on the field, and has so 
continued to do up to his entrance into Heaven. 
November 27th, 1890, in company with his 
father and mother and sister Margaret, they 
started from their home in Philadelphia to New 
York for the final preparations previous to his 
leaving them, and though it was to the flesh 
hard to say " Good-bye" to the old home and 
friends, he felt it was most blessed to give up 
even those sacred ties, with the knowledge of 
being called of God to go forth as His Messen- 
ger. (At this time his older brother John — a 
most Christ-like character — was also preparing 



22 " PROMOTED. 

himself for the foreign field, and a few months 
later was looking forward to joining him in 
Africa.) 

On Friday, the 28th, after a most impressive 
service the night before, during which he was 
ordained as a missionary of the Gospel of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, he started for the ship which 
put out early the next morning. 

The partings were over, and in company with 
his mother (who intended going with her boy as 
far as London) they set sail. 

Owing to the inclemency of the weather the 
steamer that was announced to sail from Rot- 
terdam to the Congo did not start until the 7th 
of January, 1890. The intervening time was 
filled up in his usual way — more work for the 
Master. On the 5th, however, he was obliged 
to say the final " good-bye " to that noble, self- 
sacrificing mother, and with the words, " I shall 
see you again," boarded the train and was soon 
lost to sight. Upon describing the first parting he 
always recalled it with gratitude and praise for 
the wonderful reality and love of God that was 
poured forth upon his sore heart when so 
needed. 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 23 

The 15th of January found him opposite to 
the beautiful island of Maderia, where he spent 
a few profitable hours with three other mission- 
aries (whose acquaintances were made on ship- 
board) through the courtesy of Rev. Mr. Smart, 
a Presbyterian minister on the island. 

On the 31st of January, at 6:30 a.m., they an- 
chored at the month of the Congo River, oppo- 
site Banana. The account he gave of that 
landing with his own lips was most thrilling 
and of the country where God had purposed to 
use him, ending always with this text: "I will 
exalt thee, Thee, my God, O King, and I will 
bless Thy name for ever and ever." 



CHAPTER V. 
( %o ! 1T am witb eou always even unto tbe end of 

tbe WOrlfc*"— Matt, xxviii: 20. 



JUST here, possibly, it would be well to quote 
from his diary : 
" Feb. 4th, 1 89 1. — Arriving at Banana and 
looking around upon the motley crowd of al- 
most naked heathen running hither and thither 
like sheep without a shepherd, my heart cried 
out to God that many more laborers might be 
sent forth into the harvest field, * * * 
I was greatly surprised during my journeys to 
find so many graves — not, however, of mission- 
aries, but a large number of them of white 
travellers having yielded their lives to the dust 
of Africa in their search for uncertain riches. 

11 The population of Banana is made up of a 
few white men and a large number of natives 
from Sierra Leone, Accra Kru Coast, Liberia, 
Kabindo, Loango and from some of the interior 
tribes of the Upper Congo. Many of this mus- 
cular tribe unloaded the principal part of our 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 25 

cargo. One of the company, evidently admiring 
my red belt, stole quietly up to my side, and 
questioned in broken English whether I was 
his friend. I answered in the affirmative. He 
looked pleased and exclaimed: 'You live/ 
(this is the way of asking if you are well). I 
answered: 'I very much live/ His next 
question revealed the drift of his conversation: 
' You be my friend, you give me that belt/ I 
was very soon aware that I was in the midst of 
a people that were not afraid to ask for any- 
thing, even to the best coat that a man had to 
wear. 

"When coming in actual contact with the 
superstition of these poor, deluded people my 
heart cried out, 'Who is sufficient for these 
things V And was glad to know that our suf- 
ficiency is of God. 

" After leaving Banana (which happened to be 
a great market day with the natives) in com- 
pany with others journeying in the same direc- 
tion, we reached Boma early in the evening, 
but on account of the provisions giving out, we 
were obliged to satisfy ourselves with a little 
bread and a glass of water, but were grateful 



26 " PROMOTED." 

for a good night's rest, and started off the next 
day to continue our journey." * * * 

If time and space would but permit, many 
very interesting details could be furnished after 
reaching his field of action; but, as it is desired 
to give a more lengthy account of his later ef- 
forts in that Dark Land, a few extracts from 
personal letters will but be recorded: 

" Congo, May 13th, 1892. — The year that has 
gone has been one full of trial, yet of rich 
blessing to my soul. There have been some 
very serious hindrances in the way, over which I 
would rather draw a veil than to expose to the 
light of day, but thanks be unto God, He has re- 
moved one of the drawbacks, and my heart re- 
joices within me with very great joy. 

" For the year 1891 there is little to report, not 
very much aggressive work being done in the 
preaching of the Gospel on account of not pos- 
sessing a sufficient hold of the language. One 
brick house was built — most of the work of 
which being done by the hands of my com- 
panion and myself. 

11 During the months of 1892 the Lord has sig- 
nally blessed our efforts. I have been able to 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 27 

open a school, the average attendance of which 
is eighteen, ranging from men of sixty years 
down to boys of six. Public service is held 
twice daily, and every opportunity that I could 
I embraced in speaking in different towns far 
and near, preaching Christ crucified, risen and 
coming again. Being entirely alone for months 
upon my station I have not been able to be 
away for any great length of time, but whatever 
efforts have been put forth God has asserted 
Himself, and I cannot but see and feel the 
workings of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of 
many. 

u On the 12th of March God called Home to 
Glory my dear brother John. His life here 
was short, but full of great blessing — I feel the 
Mission has lost a faithful laborer, while I have 
lost the sweet companionship of a gentle, loving 
and self-sacrificing brother. From that time 
on to April 15 th, I was once more entirely 
alone." * * * 

This older brother referred to was one of 
God's most consistent and faithful followers 
from a tiny child — his one thought and purpose 
in life seemed ever to be to glorify God, and 



28 " PROMOTED." 

when called to the Mission field he most heroic- 
ally and joyfully went forth, glad even to lay 
down his life, if need be, for the Master upon 
that dark land. And in so doing the Lord used 
it in speaking to others who have since gone 
forth as well as to his dear sister Margaret's 
heart concerning her going to Africa, and 
which she did a few years later. 

Truly a path of thorns has been trodden over 
by this most remarkable family during the past 
few years ; and yet the bruises incurred are 
scarcely ever referred to, except in connection 
with the marked manifestation of God's pres- 
ence in the healing of the wounds thus made. 

Looking forward to a life of much usefulness 
in co-partnership with his beloved brother 
John, it was indeed a sore, sore trial to be 
obliged day after day, and night after night, to 
sit by his side, isolated from any who might 
have proved a comfort or assistance at the time 
while trying to bring himself to realize what it 
would mean when all was over to be even more 
than ever shut off in that foreign land through 
his absence. 




IN HIS AFRICAN ATI IRE. 



CHAPTER VI. 
44 1T will never leave tbee nor torsafte tbee/' 

Heb. xiii: 5. 

FINALLY the day came — what followed is 
almost too sacred even to attempt to de- 
scribe ; in fact, only those who knew him 
the best have even been able to gather but a 
faint idea of the almost spechless sorrow that 
filled his lonely heart. With his own hands he 
was obliged to make the coffin. Next came the 
digging of the grave, and the laying of him 
away. The funeral service was most solemn 
and the stillness only broken by the words that 
came forth from his lips, but being so grounded 
and rooted in Christ he endeavored even then 
only to see the bright side of the cloud in that 
dark, dark hour, and with an heroic and holy de- 
termination he gave himself up more than ever 
for the spiritual welfare of that heathen land, 
over the new made grave. 

One expression from his letters explained 
better his position than another could attempt 



30 " PROMOTED. 

to give it ; referring to this most trying time in 
his life: u Hold up my hands in prayer, and by 
God's grace I shall enter in and possess the 
land for Christ. Whatever may be started 
shall be done in His name and for His glory, 
and the results I leave in the hands of Him 
who has said: ' My word shall not return unto 
me void/ " 

During one month alone, shortly after this 
tremendous trial, he held 104 public services, 
walking over two hundred miles to accomplish 
this (as he laughingly remarked in another let- 
ter:) " My congregations are very scattered/' 

In one of these tours for God he gives a most 
touching description of what was accomplished 
after having preached Jesus for nearly two 
hours or more. A very old heathen man, hav- 
ing most attentively listened, came tottering 
up to where he stood, and after asking a few 
most searching questions, became somewhat 
satisfied that the blood of Jesus could even 
cleanse away his sins, and while opening his 
heart to the Saviour, closed his conversation by 
asking with deep pathos, in trembling tones 
(while the tears were glistening in his eyes) : 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 3 1 

" Why didn't you tell us the story sooner ; why 
didn't you let us know? * 

A Cry From Africa. 

Preach the gospel in the region beyond you. II Corinthians x : x6. 

44 Why didn't you tell us sooner?" 
The words came sad and low ; 
44 O ye who knew the gospel truths, 
Why didn't you let us know ? 
The Saviour died for all the world, 

He died to save from woe ; 
But we never heard the story, 
Why didn't you let us know ? 

You have had the gospel message, 

You have known a Saviour's love ; 
Your dear ones passed from Christian homes, 

To the blessed land above. 
Why did you let our fathers die, 

And into the silence go, 
With no thought of Christ to comfort, 

Why didn't you let us know? 

We appeal to you, O Christians, 

In lands beyond the sea ! 
Why didn't you tell us sooner, 

Christ died for you and me. 
Nineteen hundred years have passed 

Since disciples were told to go 
To the uttermost parts of the earth and teach ; 

Why didn't you let us know ? 



32 u promoted/' 

You say you are Christ's disciples ; 

That you try his work to do ; 
And yet His very last command 

Is disobeyed by you. 
'Tis indeed a wonderful story ! 

He loved the whole world so, 
That He came and died to save us, 

But you didn't let us know ! 

O souls, redeemed by Jesus, 

Think what your Lord hath done ! 
He came to earth and suffered, 

And died for every one . 
He expected you to tell it, 

As on your way you go ; 
But you kept the message from us ! * 

Why didn't you let us know ? 

Hear this pathetic cry of ours, 

O dwellers in Christian lands ! 
For Africa stands before you, 

With pleading outstretched hands ; 
You may not be able to come yourself, 

But some in your stead can go. 
Will you not send us teachers ? 

Will you not let us know ? " 

G. P. Turnbull. 

And may God grant that it may open the 
eyes of all who read as to what is expected 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 33 

from one who professes to yield themselves to 
Him. 

In the latter part of 1892, having had many 
r epeated attacks of fever most prevalent there, 
his constitution becoming so shattered, the 
Superintendent on the field insisted with others 
that he should return to America, which he 
very reluctantly consented to do. Being so ill 
at the time he was obliged to be carried all the 
way for miles to the ship, and for several 
months after arriving on these shores, not- 
withstanding prostrated turns from the effects 
of that fearful African disease, he worked most 
incessantly, not only in public to impress the 
necessity upon the hearts of the people to do 
what they could for that dark land, but utilized 
every occasion presented in private conversa- 
tion as well. 



CHAPTER VII. 

" f nasmucb as ge bare fcone it unto one ot tbe least 
of tbese, £e bare bone it unto /Be/'— Matt. xxv : 40. 

MAXY instances of a most interesting char- 
acter took place in the school work — one 
especially, which God has greatly used in 
America on the subject of true giving, will be 
quoted, as told from his own lips, afterwards 
put into tract form as following : 

Matundu and His Blanket, 
p. cameron scott. 

Perhaps, first of all, I had better tell you who 
Matundu is, and then you will better under- 
stand the story which I am about to relate. 

Matundu Ky, is a little black boy, about thir- 
teen years of age, born in the Congo Free State, 
Central Africa. He was a slave in African 
bondage six months previous to the time I am 
writing about. African children do not know 
much about love ; they are born, brought up, 
and die in total darkness, and yet, we have 
learned from experience that they are just as 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 35 

capable of loving, after having received the 
grace of God in their hearts, as are the children 
of Christian parentage. 

It has been my custom to give every school- 
boy a nice red blanket to protect him from the 
chilly night air, and each boy takes great de- 
light in his blanket, and holds it as his most 
precious treasure. Matundu was the first boy 
the Lord sent me, and he was faithfully taught 
in the word of God daily. Twelve boys were 
added to the school ; each boy having in his 
possession a nice " Red Blanket/' A thirteenth 
boy came along, but no blanket to give him, 
they had all been given away. Now came the 
test. Matundu was called aside ; we took a lit- 
tle walk ; together we sat under a large banana 
tree and talked of God's goodness. The Master 
put it into my heart to test the boy, so I said 
" Matundu, the Lord has sent a new boy to at- 
tend school, but my blankets are all gone, so 
have none left for the new boy ; will you please 
give him yours ? " 

The boy looked at me in astonishment and 
said, " Why do you ask me to give up my 
blanket ? Am I not one of the first boys you 
ever had ? ask one of the newer boys ! " 



$6 M PROMOTED." 

I explained to him that the very reason I 
asked him, was because he was the first boy on 
the station, and therefore knew more about the 
sacrifice Jesus made when He left heaven, com- 
ing to earth to suffer for us ; and because of 
His great sacrifice, we also ought to sacrifice 
the one for the other. 

His little black chin dropped on his naked 
breast, and for a few moments he thought in 
silence ; then looking up, he smilingly said, " I 
will give him half oi my blanket." 

Looking solemnly at the boy for a moment, I 
answered ; (i No Matundu, my boy; -Jesus wants 
a whole-hearted consecration or nothing." 

Again his head dropped, and this time he 
considered the subject quite seriously, and as I 
watched his little black countenance, I could 
see a struggle was going on ; but finally, he 
looked up again, and said : " Can we not both 
lie under one blanket?" 

The answer came : " No Matundu ; every boy 
must have his own bed and blanket." At this 
point I dropped the subject altogether, not re- 
ferring to the blanket again. As we sat under 
the tree, we spoke of the love of Jesus, and the 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 37 

wonderful redemption which he had purchased 
for mankind. My heart was filled with love 
for the boy, and went out much in prayer for 
him. Fully half an hour elapsed, and on look- 
ing into his face, found the tears coursing down 
his cheeks like rain. On inquiring what was 
the matter, the words came distinct and clearly, 
u Mono zolele kwami vana Milanda divungu 
diami. ,, "I want to give my blanket to 
Milanda." 

After asking why he wanted to give it up, 
also telling him that it took five months to get 
blankets from England, he answered : 

" No matter ; I want to do it for Jesus' sake." 
He immediately arose, got his blanket, and 
going to the new boy, said : " Milanda ; in the 
name of Jesus I give you my blanket." 

It was the " widow's mite," all she had. The 
blanket was all the boy possessed that was of 
any value, but he rejoiced to part with it, be- 
cause the love of God had penetrated, and 
found lodgment in his little heart. 

That same night, after evening prayers, I 
called Matundu into my tent, and taking a 
blanket from my bed, said : " Matundu, the 



38 " PROMOTED." 

Lord told me to give you this blanket. He 
looked at it for a moment, then looking at me, 
rushed from my tent to his little hut, and as I 
followed him out, I could hear him sobbing out 
his heart to God in thankfulness for giving him 
a blanket ten times better than the one given 
away. 

Oh ! friends ; we talk about sacrifice ; but 
can we not learn a lesson from the little African 
slave boy ? He gave his all, that he might make 
the heart of Jesus glad ; and cause another 
black boy to rejoice. Is there not something 
you can give up ? Isn't there a blanket stored 
away in your garret somewhere that you might 
sell to send the gospel to the heathen world 
lying in darkness ? I am sure the Master would 
have you do something to spread the glorious 
message of salvation which He has purchased 
with His blood. God is calling for sacrifices ; 
shall we not lay our all on the altar, and let the 
Master Himself dispose of it as He shall see fit ! 

" He that taketh not His cross, and followeth 
after me, is not worthy of Me." 

Do you desire to be worthy of Him ? Prove 
your worthiness. 



LIFE SKETCH OE P. CAMERON SCOTT. 39 

In these days of wonderful opportunity for 
the Master, a great deal is said about giving, 
consecration, and faith, which amounts to noth- 
ing more than mere sentimentality ; but senti- 
mentality will never accomplish anything unless 
backed up by a life of practice. 

The life of the Lord Jesus was intensely 
practical. We read in Matthew ix : 36 ; "When 
He saw the multitudes, He was moved with 
compassion on them because they fainted, and 
were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shep- 
herd : " The compassion of Jesus led Him to do 
something. He gathered the disciples together, 
explained to them the situation, and then He 
said: "Pray." But the Master did not stop 
with an " exhortation to pray " ; for in Matthew 
x : 1, we read : "And when He had called unto 
Him His twelve disciples, He gave them 
power;" and "Sent them forth," saying, "As 
ye go preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is 
at hand/' Of course this was a special com- 
mand to His chosen twelve ; but He takes us 
all in when He gave the last command : " Go 
ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to 
every creature," Mark xvi : 15 ; and " Ye shall 



4o 

receive power after that the Holy Ghost is 
come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto 
me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in 
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the 
earth/' Acts i : 8. 

We are all responsible to a certain extent for 
the condition of the world as it is to-day ; we 
have all been called ; some to go to the fore 
front of the battle, others to hide away in quiet 
and hold up those who go to the front, in prayer, 
and others again to give of their substance. 

Shall anyone be slack in taking up the work 
God has given us to do ? We are ail dependent 
one upon the other ; he that goes to the front, 
must go willingly and gladly, those who pray 
must pray fervently and believingly, and those 
who give, must give liberally. " There is that 
scattereth, and yet increaseth, and there is that 
withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth 
to poverty : The liberal soul shall be made fat : 
and he that watereth shall be watered also him- 
self/' Proverbs xi : 24, 25. 

Listen for a little while, and methinks you 
will hear the cry coming from eight hundred 
and fifty-six million of souls in heathen dark- 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 41 

ness : " Brother we are perishing, come over 
and help us ! " 

Pause once more ; listen ! it is the Master 
Himself who speaks : " Go to my brethren, and 
say unto them, / ascend to my Father, and your 
Father, and to my God, and your God," John 
xx : 17. " Go ye therefore, and teach all 
nations/' 

What have you done in the past for those 
in darkness ? What will you now begin to do ? 
May the Lord enable you to lay your all upon 
the altar ; and then you shall hear the words of 
commendation from the Master's own lips : 
"She hath done what she could/' 

What an Example for the Christian at 
Home ! 

How very few, comparitively speaking, un- 
derstand what true charity really is ; and how 
many gifts presented for this or that object, the 
amount being hastily decided, not first by ask- 
ing the question, a How much, Lord, am I 
prompted by Thee to give even though I may 
feel it keenly, but rather, how much will I put 



42 " PROMOTED. 

my name down to that which will not cause too 
great a sacrifice," forgetting in so doing, they 
are actually robbing themselves of the blessing 
that is sure to re-act upon the other form of be- 
stowing ; what, after all, is really not their own 
if truly desiring to be a follower of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

"1T will go before tbee ♦ ♦ . f will give tbee tbe 
treasures of Darkness*"— isa. xiv: 2, 3. 

AFTER many months of most earnest devo- 
tion to the Master's work in various 
States of our Union, and greatly used 
and honored of God, notwithstanding" many 
serious trials from time to time, in the Summer 
of 1894 this dear young servant of God spent 
six months once more in his native country, and 
also in England, working most incessantly in 
Churches, Tabernacles, Halls, and Drawing- 
Rooms, with but one desire in his heart, that 
God might be continually glorified through his 
life to the salvation of souls, and upbuilding of 
Christians, and to the urging of all to see the 
necessity of spreading the Gospel, even to the 
uttermost parts of the earth. During these six 
months God especially laid the needs of East 
Africa upon his heart — night and day he was 
more or less waiting upon Him for guidance 
concerning His purpose in so doing, and almost 



44 " PROMOTED." 

every spare moment was spent in making most 
careful and prayerful researches as touching 
the coast and the interior of that part of the 
country. His thought was, if God so ordered, 
to open a line of Mission Stations along the 
mountain regions until reaching the shores of 
Lake Tchad, which was nearly two thousand 
miles in the interior, in the region of the Soudan, 
where over ninety millions of people are still 
under the superstition of heathenism. 

While most actively engaged in Scotland, in 
December, he received two cablegrams urging 
his immediate return to Philadelphia to under- 
take a work among the various colleges of 
Pennsylvania, in hopes of stimulating the 
young men to engage in more active and 
aggressive missionary efforts. Taking this 
as the prompting of God's Spirit, he an- 
swered the call, and was most gloriously 
used to establish in the hearts of hundreds a 
desire to go forth and do likewise. It was in 
this way he became so closely associated with 
Mr. Charles E. Hurlbert, who is now President 
of the Africa Inland Missionary Council, and 
his co-workers, Mr. James. H. McConkey, the 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 45 

Messrs. Arthur, and others. After much 
prayerful conversation, and days of waiting on 
God with these dear friends, he finally exposed 
his heart more fully to them concerning the 
founding of what is now recognized as the 
Africa Inland Mission. 

There are many most touching accounts that 
could be written in connection with the final 
forming of this already wonderful work, and 
later on possibly a fuller description may be 
given in another form. 

It was suggested that a Missionary Council 
should be organized for the purpose of repre- 
senting the work here in America, also acting 
as a channel through which any funds con- 
tributed might reach those on the field after 
going forth. This undertaking was placed in 
humble dependence upon God to supply all 
needs, and although nearly every existing Mis- 
sionary Board at that time was more or less 
involved in debt, preventing any new work, 
nevertheless, though the dear young founder 
of this great undertaking never made any 
direct appeals for money, he felt positive he 
could trust the Lord regarding finances, there- 



46 " PROMOTED." 

fore began at once to band together the first 
party. 

About this time, in company with Mr. William 
Arthur (who had, for some months, been deeply 
concerned for the welfare of Central America),he 
made a trip down there, being absent about two 
months, and realizing the great need of some 
Christian effort being put forth in that direction, 
he assisted Mr. Arthur, to found what is now 
known as the Central America Industrial Mis- 
sion, and ever since, under whose auspices, a 
definite work for God is being carried on 
amongst those in nearly as much heathen dark- 
ness as Africa itself, though almost in reach of 
Christian civilization. 

Upon his return, after several public services 
out West, final preparations were made for the 
Africa Missionaries, and accordingly on August 
17th, 1895, a little company of seven left our 
shores to be joined by another in Scotland, to 
set their faces toward the dark continent, his 
faith being amply rewarded in many almost 
unheard of ways to meet, not only their neces- 
sary expenses of the journey, but a surplus on 
hand for what might arise as they neared their 
destination. 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 47 

The provisional love of God is such that He 
delights to surprise one in this way into a more 
lively faith, Mark xi: 24. In fact the record of 
that journey was one of continual testimony of 
His abounding grace, and most marked ap- 
proval of the steps taken in obedience to the 
dictation of His own Divine promptings. 

The names of his associates were as follows: 
Miss Margaret Scott, Miss Reckling, Miss Lind- 
berg, and Messrs. Krieger, Hotchkiss, Severn, 
and Wilson. 

A farewell service was held in Philadelphia, 
at the Pennsylvania Bible Institute, at the 
Door of Hope, New York, and one in Brooklyn 
— all of which were of a most interesting and 
heart- searching character. In Scotland several 
other meetings followed, and many hearts were 
blessed. Before leaving there Mr. Scott was 
elected as the Superintendent of the Africa 
Inland Work by the outgoing party itself, also 
other officers were elected for their then estab- 
lished organization. 



CHAPTER IX. 

"1be sball give Ibis angels cbarge over tbee to 
fteep tbee in ailtbg wags/'— Ps. xci: n. 

THEY were accompanied as far as Paris by- 
Mrs. Scott, his devoted mother, and upon 
the day of their departure they received 
the very sad announcement of the death of her 
youngest son, his brother George — God, how- 
ever, through His sufficiency, caused them 
unitedly to stand upon His promises, which 
never failed, and through His blessed consola- 
tion and comfort they committed one another to 
Him and to the power of that Grace which was 
sufficient for each, and spoke their last good- 
bye. The parting between the mother and her 
dear son and daughter is too sacred to dwell 
upon. And although each heart was made most 
sore at this peculiarly trying time, they bravely 
went forth to do the Master's bidding, and left 
her in the hands of Him whom they were serv- 
ing so faithfully ; little thinking at the time 
that through the taking of George Scott a call 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 49 

to Africa itself was to be born in the very heart 
and life of the bereaved and lonely traveller on 
her way back to America, to go forth herself 
with the remaining ones of her family, even to 
that distant land, and work with all the others 
for the salvation of the heathen. 

On the 27 th of October Mr, Scott and Mr. 
Krieger landed at Mombasa, leaving the rest of 
the party temporarily at Zanzibar. All the way 
from Europe, was again, but one repeated re- 
minder of God's constant love and watchful 
care. Before starting from those shores, through 
being unexpectedly delayed over eighteen hours, 
m answer to prayer the heart of the captain of the 
steamer was so touched that he kept from sail- 
ing until their arrival — to say nothing of the 
attacks of the wild beasts later on and the war- 
ring of the native tribes, leaving them wholly 
unharmed ; also of the plenteous showers which 
supplied their extreme need in the desert before 
reaching their place of labor, while Mission 
Boards and workers from place to place gave 
them not only cordial welcome but valuable 
counsel and help. 

Leaving the ladies of the party to be settled 



SO " PROMOTED. 

temporarily in Mombasa, the gentlemen started 
at 10:40 a.m. on the 12th of November, 1895, on 
a long march for the opening of their first sta- 
tion into the interior. Possibly it would, 
though, be far more interesting to quote ex- 
tracts direct from Mr. Scott's own diary as 
touching this: 

M At 10:40 a.m. our caravan moved out, and 
they looked rather pretty as they strung out in 
single file in their gaily attired and peculiar 
costumes, headed by the Safari drum. We 
reached Makupa at 11:25, which is the ferry 
crossing from the island to the mainland. To 
this point many of the women came to say 
good-bye to husbands and those they held dear. 
Their leave-taking is not so effusive and affect- 
ing as that of Europeans, but to all appearance 
they are like other mortals, and have their feel- 
ings. Our ferriage across to the mainland was 
limited to a few old canoes, so that it was 2:25 
p.m. when we had all crossed over, and at Sun- 
gali we caught up with the forty-two camels 
which form part of our caravan, our whole force 
numbering about 300. We reached Mazera at 
6:20, where we were to camp for the night, but 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 5 1 

the last of our caravan did not get in until 9 

P.M. 

The soldier escort is under the charge of Mr. 
Ewart, from Zanzibar, sent by the Consul for 
our protection, owing to the uprising of Mbaruk, 
an Arab chief." * * . * 

"As we are now in the disturbed part of 
country, we set sentinels on guard, and about 9 
p.m. we lay down to rest, the Lord giving me 
this precious text: * The angel of the Lord en- 
campeth round about them that fear Him.' 
Mazera to Mwachi, six ; Mwachi to Rabai and 
back, fifteen ; in all, twenty-one miles." 

Nov. 14th. — " This is an early start in the his- 
tory of my diary, for 1 must begin recording 
from 12:15 a.m., at which hour a shot was fired 
in the camp. Instantly I was out and ready for 
duty, whatever that might mean. The ser- 
geant was flying though the camp, calling upon 
the sentinels to ' stand ready/ and 'keep your 
eyes clear/ Running around the outside of the 
sentinel and finding the true position of our 
men, I found them standing with guns ready 
for war. The cause of alarm was this: Two 
men, supposed to be from Mbaruk's camp, ap- 



52 " PROMOTED." 

proached within a short distance of our sentry 
(undoubtedly to find the best place of attack), 
and, refusing to answer the challenge, the sen- 
try fired upon them. Of course, there was no 
more sleep and I occupied myself with walking 
around the camp to keep the men on the look- 
out. Two texts came forcibly to me while on 
duty, ' Watch and pray.' 'The angel of the 
Lord encampeth round about them that fear 
Him.' The whole camp was astir by 4 a.m., and 
at 5 we were ready for the march, but found 
that nine men had decamped, leaving their 
loads to be carried by the askari. We reached 
Maji Chumbi at 10:45, ar) d found the camp se- 
cure." * * * 

Nov. 17th. — "We are astir early, as Mr. 
Ewart and his soldiers are returning to the 
coast, and we are glad to have this opportunity 
of sending off news. We got our caravan under 
way at 5 a m. , but it was 5 130 before I could leave 
with the last man. The country through which 
we pass is for the greater part through cactus 
jungle, and much of it has never been trodden 
by the feet of man. We reached Masima Tyare 
at 7 a.m., and here we camped, hearing that we 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 53 

would get no water until reaching Voi, a dis- 
tance of fifty miles, and this is not a pleasant 
outlook under a tropical sun. About 9:30 a.m., 
Mr. Simmons, one of the engineers of the road, 
passed by on his way to the coast with a small 
caravan. He had forty bullocks when leaving 
Ndi, but only twenty-nine were left, eleven 
having died on the way for lack of water. 
There was much parleying among the men 
about starting on our journey again, and the 
lack of water makes it difficult to know what 
to do. However, we have decided to make a 
start this evening and march all night, if pos- 
sible." 

* * # * * 

Nov. 18th. — "We had not been asleep many 
minutes when the rain began to pour, and 
crawling closer together we praised God for the 
rain, for now we have some hope of getting 
water in the desert. By 3:30 a.m. we were all 
astir, and soon the headman was chasing around 
to awaken the porters. Our breakfast consisted 
of cold rice, for we could spare no water to 
make tea. We left camp at 4:30 and leaving 
the headman to bring up stragglers we pushed 



54 " PROMOTED." 

on, arriving at Mazima Mitatu, but finding no 
water we continued our journey until we 
reached Maunga Dogo, a hill about 3 000 feet 
high. Hearing from some natives that there 
was water on top of the hill, we decided to 
camp. We put into camp, by hard walking, at 
9:40, but the porters did not put in an appear- 
ance until 12:30, and there was much rejoicing 
among the poor fellows when they heard there 
was water. One begins to appreciate the full 
force of Scripture when it says they camped 
because 'there was much water there.' We are 
now being quite well supplied with fresh meat, 
as some of us managed to get a small antelope 
or two frequently, which helps along our chop 
box very much. To-day I shot a young deer 
and wanted to give it to the headman, but he 
being a Mohammedan could not accept it be- 
cause its throat had not been cut by one of his 
own persuasion. Oh, the superstition of those 
who have a false religion! It is harder to reach 
them than those who are called heathen and 
have no form of worship. 

11 Had an interesting talk with my boy Faraja 
to-day, in the Congo language, and when I asked 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 55 

him why he did not believe in Jesus, he an- 
swered: i No one ever taught me that story 
before/ It seems strange that one should be 
able to give such an answer in the nineteenth 
century! The headmen and camel men came 
in to see me this evening requesting me to stop 
here on the morrow to give camels and porters 
rest, and we have concluded to remain. Heavy 
rains at night, many flies, mosquitoes and creep- 
ing things in this camp." 

* * * * * 

Nov. 22d. — i( Left at 6 A.M.expecting a day's 
hunting, and hoped to get some fresh meat by 
the operation. We were unable to get within 
shooting distance of anything except two fine 
specimens of the eland family. One shot from 
my rifle caused them to flee, and the next time 
we saw them they were about two miles dis- 
tant. Saw three beautiful ostriches in the dis- 
tance but they -seemed to scent danger. Re- 
turned to Ndi camp about 2 p.m. very weary, 
but gladdened to see that all our porters had 
arrived safely from Rabai. I had a busy time 
all afternoon and night getting the men and 
loads re-arranged, and I find we have fifty-two 



56 " promoted/' 

loads and porters, ten askari, five boys, one cook 
and two headmen, with five missionaries, mak- 
ing in all seventy-five. It is a difficult matter 
arranginging their names and numbers, because 
some of them have many names, and they have 
exchanged their registered check numbers, so 
that the numbers do not fit the names, or the 
names the numbers. But finally the job was 
completed, each man assigned to his load, 804 
pounds of rice given out to them as food, which 
is to do them for seven days, and once more the 
camp is enjoying comparative peace and plenty. 
Had quite a number of sick porters to doctor 
to-day; poor fellows, no wonder they get ill, 
considering their heavy loads, wet weather and 
no proper shelter along the way. 

11 Had dinner with Mr. Wise, who has so kind- 
ly entertained us while camping here. We can- 
not repay him for his kindness, but we trust in 
God to bless him." 

***** 

Nov, 25th. — "Soon after arising this morn- 
ing, Faraji came with the sorrowful news of 
two porters running away during the night and 
carrying with them the clothes belonging to 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 57 

the boys and cook. Provision had to be made 
for the loads, so that it was 6:20 before I got 
away from camp. Before long I had left most 
of the porters in the rear, and came upon a 
group of men sitting upon their boxes. They 
had appointed a committee of two to wait upon 
me, requesting that a flag be carried at the 
head of our caravan. After telling them that 
my flag was left at the coast, they suggested a 
piece of red cloth would do, but I told them that 
was the sultan's flag, and they have decided to 
remain without one for the present. 

"At 7 p.m. we had a real blessed meeting with 
the Rabai men and other of the porters, and 
the Lord gave us a glorious gathering together, 
singing, praying, and the little talk was trans- 
lated by A. C. David. Some of the Rabai men 
seem to be earnest Christians and it is a delight 
to worship with them and hear them sing." 

* * * * * 

Nov. 28th.-— "This is Thanksgiving Day in 
America, and we fail not to give thanks here to 
God for all His goodness unto us His children, 
since leaving home, and especially since leaving 
the coast, for we have been preserved in the 



58 " PROMOTED. N 

waterless desert, in the sunshine and rain, and 
we have lacked no good thing. Why our 
Father has been so merciful and gracious to us 
I know not, but one thing I am assured of, it is 
not because of any worthiness in us, but only 
out of the abundance of His grace, through 
the merits of our Lord and Saviour, Christ. 

" O thou my soul bless God the Lord, 
And all that in me is; 
Be stirred up, His Holy name, 

To magnify and bless." 
***** 

Dec. 3d. — The rain and the lions started about 
the same time — at midnight, and kept it up 
until s a. m. The lions did make an awful 
noise, and the poor fellows who had camped on 
the outskirts were glad to crawl in near our 
tents. Faraji lay in the door of my tent all 
night, ready to be of service. Owing to the 
heavy rain, it was a difficult matter keeping up 
the camp fires, and the lions approached very 
near, and had I been feeling well, I should 
have been out with my rifle. 

* 1* 1* ™ T* 

Dec. 4th. — In coming to a swamp, Faraji 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT 59 

volunteered to carry me over in order to keep 
my feet dry. He had not proceeded far when 
down he plunged into a hole, and we both got 
soaked, so there was nothing else to do but 
walk on, and at 9 a. m. we reached Mwani, 
where I sunk down almost helpless, having a 
heavy chill which lasted until noon, followed by 
violent fever. I was not alone, however, for 
soon Fred took to bed followed by Willis, and 
then Walter gave in, and only Lester was left to 
care for the camp. The situation seemed 
almost ludicrous to me, and although very sick, 
yet I could not suppress the laughter, but I am 
thankful to be able to prescribe for the others. 
Mr. Ellis called in ttie afternoon, one of the 
engineers of the road, and found us all in bed 
except Lester. This is a government station in 
the process of erection. Mr. Trefuses, of S. M. 
Co , from whom we expected to get our trading 
stock is away in Kikuyu, and thus all things 
work together for good. The Lord is good to 
all; " He knoweth our frame; He remem- 
bereth that we are dust." My heart is full of 
praise. 
Dec. 5th. — I was able to crawl out this morn- 



60 " promoted/' 

ing, and begin my work proper as doctor, but 
feel awfully weak, and scarcely able to take 
care of others. Willis also got up this morning, 
but he had to take to his bed again with return 
of high fever. Fred is feeling very miserable 
to-day, and very weak, with temperature stand- 
ing at 103. Walter is still in a bad way, but I 
trust he will soon be better. This is the place 
and time when all our Christian patience and 
fortitude is put to the test, and it brings out 
what is really in man, showing our many weak- 
nesses and shortcomings. But how very little 
we have to bear, when compared to the " Man 
of Sorrows/' who suffered the "Just for the 
unjust/' May the Lord grant unto us His own 
love and patience, that we may be living exam- 
ples of all the virtues of His life. Oh, that we 
might, like our " Great Example," rebuke fever, 
and raise up those who are suffering, through 
faith in His name ! Lester is feeling a little 
seedy, and will probably be down soon. 

Mr. Ellis came in to-night, bringing the news 
of Mr. Dick's death, one of the transport agents, 
in an encounter with the Masai. If reports are 
true, hundreds were killed. Will poor Africa 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 6l 

never be at rest ? Come, Lord Jesus, come 
quickly; then rest we shall ! 

Dec. ioth. — My heart is full of praise this 
morning for the multitude of God's loving 
kindnesses and tender mercies. My patients 
are almost well; Walter is able to be up, and 
although Lester is very weak, yet there is very 
great improvement in his condition. 

Dec. i rth. — Spent the whole day writing out 
my diary for mother. What a pleasure to do 
this for one you love; how irksome this would 
be otherwise. The deputation has not come 
from the hills to see us to-day, and, if all is 
well, on the morrow we shall move onward. 
Lester is able to be up to-day, and so our circle 
is complete once more. 

Dec. 1 2th. —Left Mwani at 9.30 this morning, 
and had a hard tramp over the hills. Saw a 
beautiful spot for a station, the only question 
being that of water supply. There is plenty 
during this season of the year, but whether it 
lasts through the dry season we cannot find out. 
Reached Nzawi at 4 p. m. very tired. Judging 
from the fertile valleys and cultivated patches, 
there must be plenty of people in this district, 



62 " PROMOTED." 

but they seem to have a faculty of hiding their 
villages in the hills. To-night as we camp at 
the foot of M ount Nzawi, which is 6,ioo feet 

high, the rain is coming down in torrents. We 
have decided to leave the camp as it is to-mor- 
row, and four to go out prospecting. 

Dec. 13th. — Left Lester in camp this morning, 
and the rest of us went off on a prospecting 
tour, Walter and Willis taking one side of the 
Nzawi River, around the base of the hill, I, with 
Fred taking the other side, going off in the 
direction of Kilungu. We saw plenty of vil- 
lages, great herds of cattle, and droves of goats, 
and the whole country round has the appearance 
of peace and plenty. As might be supposed, 
the people have all laid siege to the most de- 
sirable places, and yet there are spots left that 
would make delightful sites for mission prem- 
ises. The people are not at all adverse to our 
coming, and in some cases, seem rather anxious 
to have us. Walked many miles, getting back 
to camp at 4 p. m." 



CHAPTER X. 

"Gbe 3LorD of bosts te wftb us tbe <5o& of Jacob is 
our refuge,"— Ps. xivi: 7. 

On Saturday, December 14th, at 8.30 a. m. 
they encamped in Nzawi Valley,making arrange- 
ments with the natives for settling down in their 
midst; afterward receiving the sanction of Her 
Majesty's District Commissioner at Machakos, 
and granting commission land for buildings and 
cultivation; and, later giving free permission to 
build stations wherever they pleased. This first 
station is situated about four thousand feet 
above sea-level, at the base of Mount Nzawi, 
which is 6,100 feet high— the buildings are on a 
little hillock overlooking the Nzawi Valley, to 
the Northeast of Mount Kilima Njaro. about 
250 miles from the coast — iy 2 degrees South 
Latitude, and 37^ degrees East Longitude — 
the temperature, though very high at mid-day, 
actually dropping at night to 50 or 60 degrees 
cooler. The people, the Wakamba, thickly set- 
tled in villages near by, present indeed a field 
for missionary work. 



64 " PROMOTED." 

Notwithstanding the enormous expenses con- 
nected with even this expedition, as before, in 
answer to prayer, they we met. The 

principal ones being that of the carriers, 
amounting to six dollars for every sixty-five 
pounds conveyed from the coast, also other 
necessary expenditures; for instance, a sack of 
salt (in Liverpool valued at seventy-five cents) 
before reaching the Interior had swelled up to 
the enormous price of eight dollars — and in all, 
the cost of getting the goods to Xzawi amounted 

to Si, 375- 

"Dec. 15th. — Sabbath. — Spent a real blessed, 
iet day. Had palaver twice with the he; 
men, who seem somewhat timid about having 
the white man see the king : at any rate he has 
not returned from his drinking bout, and I 
have given them to understand that if he is not 
here by 7 a. m. to-morrow I will begin oper- 
ations for building. 

Dec. 16th. — Monday. — Xo news from the 
king at 7 a. m. and I set my men to work, two 
squads were cutting grass, one squad cutting 
timber, and another clearing 
build. It was not long until we had quite a 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 65 

clearing, and great stacks of grass. The people 
seeing we meant business, and intended to 
abide by our word, it had the good effect of 
bringing the headmen around to talk over things 
seriously. At i p. m. we sat down to hold our 
palaver with twenty-eight of the headmen of 
the district, and they immediately set to work 
by telling me that while they were glad to have 
the white man among them, yet I must remove 
to another hill, taking all my friends with me, 
as the one on which we now were contained the 
charm upon which they depended for rain. I 
then took the opportunity of telling them that 
the God who once flooded the whole earth 
would give them " rain in due season " if they 
would love and serve Him. This news fell on 
their ears lightly, and they heeded not, but per- 
sisted that I must remove I then told them 
that I was quite willing to move if they gave 
me a place as good, or better than the present 
site, and as near the water. They pointed out 
another hill about a mile away, and said that 
was a better place, while I persisted it was far 
away from the water and the people. They 
answered saying that I could build where I 



66 fi PROMOTED." 

pleased, but if I remained on the present site 
all the Wakamba would remove far away and 
not speak to the white man. I tried to show 
them the foolishness of such a proceeding since 
the white men had come as friends to do them 
good. After a certain amount of palaver, they 
willingly gave us the place to do as we pleased, 
and have promised to sell us food and carry 
loads from Mwani. We separated, after having 
palavered back and forth two hours and a half, 
and, as far as I can judge, we are the best of 
friends, and thanks are due to Faraji and the 
headmen for faithfully interpreting our story to 
them. About an hour after the palaver, one of 
the elders, who was most strongly opposed to 
our settling, came up to make a contract to 
serve us with milk, and has agreed to give us a 
quart night and morning for four rupees per 
month. Another old man has promised as 
much as he can without pay. A lot of timber 
and grass gathered to-day for a temporary 
house. The porters came in from Mwani, 
bringing with them all the loads. Busy night, 
preparing to leave for Machakos in the morn- 
ing. The African is a funny fellow to deal 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 6j 

with. At one moment he is strongly opposed 
to you, and if you beat him in argument, he 
yields everything ! " 

* * * * * 

Dec. 21st. — Saturday. — Had a busy day get- 
ting things set to rights and making a few alter- 
ations in the house ; got all the frame work 
finished to-day, and the boys are pleased with 
their work. Good timber is hard to find. Spent 
some time to day investigating the stone in the 
vicinity, hoping to get enough for a house, but 
found good stone very scarce. The men are 
busy getting grass for roof and timber for beds, 
while Walter is laying out the place. 

Dec. 2 2d. — Sabbath. — A day of quiet rest, the 
Lord being precious to us all. In the afternoon 
I went off to the village with Faraji and Hamisi 
to have a talk with the people, and I realize 
that only the power of God can move them. 

Dec. 23d — Monday. — The men all working 
their very best to-day endeavoring to finish the 
house. By 5.30 p.m. the last handful of grass 
was put on and the house ready for occupancy. 
My heart rejoices to see this comfortable little 
house, 14x30 feet, ready for my brethren before 



6& t€ PROMOTED." 

I return to the coast. The frame work for a 
cook-house was also completed to-day, the 
station plan (ground plan) measured, and laid 
out, and forwarded to Machakos, and the plans 
completed for another house. There are many 
preparations to make for my journey to the 
coast — hair cutting, getting traveling kit ready, 
etc., so that it had crept into morning before I 
got swung into my hammock. Here I must 
leave you for the present, as my return journey 
is to be a quick one, and will not admit of letter 
writing, but I hope to continue in the near 
future. 

Yours in Gospel bonds, 

P. Cameron Scott. 

By December 23d, the first little house being 
completed, he left the gentlemen of the party 
to continue on with their work, feeling sure the 
second house would be finished by the time of 
his return with the ladies, who anxiously were 
awaiting his appearance, he bade adieu to each, 
and started off to rejoin them, and by traveling 
quite rapidly accomplished this tremendous 
journey of 240 miles in nine days. 



CHAPTER XL 

" Wben a man's wa^s please tbe Xorfc, f>e maftetb 
even bis enemies to be at peace witb bim," 

Prov. xvi: 7. 

BEFORE starting forth with the ladies it 
was deemed best to send one of them 
home. And after she had been carefully- 
provided for, on February 3d, 1896, with a cara- 
van of no men, bidding good-bye to the friends 
of civilization, they all started for the interior, 
arriving at Nzawi on February 28th, after ex- 
periencing many hardships and occasional 
touches of fever by the way (but with hearts 
full of gratitude, recognizing God's marvellous 
loving interpositions) where they received a 
a most hearty welcome, finding a comfortable 
brick house well nigh completed awaiting their 
arrival. 

It was thought advisable shortly afterwards 
to open another station, and with this end in 
view, Mr. Scott set forth on March nth, 
towards the district of Sakai. — Before so doing 



70 " PROMOTED. 

they celebrated for the first time all together 
upon that heathen land the Lord's Supper, and 
experienced a most conscious sense of His 
presence and benediction resting in their midst, 
while listening to their dear Superintendent, 
who took for his subject, u God's companionship, 
security in His hand, and success through His 
working," giving them through this brief expo- 
sition many a little word of cheer, consolation, 
and quickening to their faith. — 

He pitched his camp a day amongst a very 
howling and angry mob of natives, who were 
decidedly opposed to his project of building; 
but after much trial of faith and earnest wait- 
ing upon God, the work was begun, and upon 
the 1 8th of March Mr. Hotchkiss was placed in 
charge, occupying the little grass-house, which 
had been principally built by Mr. Scott's own 
hands. 

From his diary the following is recorded : 
" March nth. — Wednesday. — Left Nimuyu at 
6.15 a.m., accompanied by Mulinda, who has 
promised to show me the country ; but I think 
the chief reason is he does not want me to build 
too near his place. We traveled along the 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 7 1 

Itindiki, a small stream, which brought lis into 
Saky. We had very much trouble getting a 
place on which to pitch our camp. No one 
seemed to want us, and one chief kept passing 
us on from the one to the other until I got tired 
of the performance and, settling down on a 
place, refused to move. After getting my tent 
up, I armed my men with axes, and set off to 
cut wood. The Wakamba promised to fight us, 
and I told them that it didn't make much dif- 
ference to me what they did, and went into the 
first clump. A noisy crowd assembled, and 
they talked loud enough to frighten any one 
that was inclined to feel that way. After cut- 
ting a while, I came up and began laying out 
the ground plan of the house, A great number 
of people gathered together, and I began giving 
them an exhibition of juggling, tumbling, bal- 
ancing sticks, and axes, and knives, in different 
ways, and I soon had them all howling with 
laughter. They seemed to enjoy the exhibition 
thoroughly, and the handspring especially 
evoked much praise and admiration. In a little 
while I had presents of milk, eggs, bananas, 
and a chicken ; and the chief took me where I 



73 PROMOTED. 

could cut up one tree, and promised to give me 
men on the morrow to show where good wood 
was to be had. I found that some of the people 
knew a little about athletics, some of them 
being able to walk on their hands and bend 
backwards, touching the ground with their 
hands, and walk crab fashion. I was glad to be 
able to do all they did, and more too. I may 
say these are the first people I have ever met 
in Africa who made any attempt at such exer- 
cise. I am well satisfied with the day's work. 
The people have plenty of cattle, and cultivate 
largely, but timber is scarce. It is principally 
a grass country, and fine grazing for cattle. 
May the Lord give us grace in the eyes of the 
people, and may they soon come to a knowl- 
edge of the truth as it is in Christ. The tree 
given by the chief to day cost my hat as a 
return present ! 

March 12th. — Thursday. — This has been a 
queerly checkered day. The men who promised 
to show me where to cut wood were not forth- 
coming, and instead, an absolute refusal to 
allow me to cut timber. Not wishing to appear 
contrary, I sent the men off for grass, and soon 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 73 

a large crowd of chiefs and warriors assembled, 
headed by Mwynde wa Dungi, who bore a letter 
dated July 31st, 1895, declaring him to be a 
friend of Mr. Ainsworth, commissioner of the 
district. They began in their usual way, by 
saying they were very glad to have the white 
man in their midst (for they are very polite), 
but he must move to another place which they 
would name. I made many legitimate excuses 
for remaining where I was, which they would 
not accept. I finally proposed to move, provid- 
ing they would give me a better place, and fur- 
nish men to carry all the wood and grass I had 
cut, saying these were the only conditions upon 
which I would move. The chief immediately 
gave the order for all the young men to clear 
out, and forbade them to sell food to my men 
or myself, thinking probably to starve us out. 
The chiefs still sat about my tent talking in 
an exciting manner, and I promptly told them 
that since they treated the white man so shame- 
fully, I commanded every one of them to 
clear out as quickly as possible, which they did. 
I then went on with my work as though noth- 
ing out of the ordinary had happened, expect- 



74 " PROMOTED." 

ing them soon to come to their proper senses. 
They finally came to a decision, and about 2 
p. m. returned with a fine ram and an apology, 
requesting me to stay, and promising anything 
I might desire. I listened patiently to ail they 
had to say, and liberty was granted to cut all 
the wood I wanted, men were promised to carry 
loads from Nzawi here. And so God reigns, 
and His poor unworthy servant triumphs 
through Him ! The chief also said that if any 
drunken people bothered me, to tie them up, 
and send for him. If anything gets lost or 
stolen, I am to notify him, and he will find it 
for me. These are strange people ; one who 
does not know them would get a fright at 
times. 

March 13th. — Friday. — Things are very much 
quieter here to-day. The men got a fright in 
the early morning while cutting wood, the 
Wakamba threatening to fight them. It has 
been very difficult getting a tree long enough 
for a ridge pole, and the people will not show 
me where to get one, and so I attempted a bold 
plan. In the afternoon I set off with an axe 
and two men, determined to have a pole before 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 75 

returning. I walked straight to a tree that I 
found they had some reverence for, and made 
every preparation as though I was going to cut 
it down. The owner of the field was soon on 
the spot, and I have rarely seen an African so 
excited. I paid little attention to him, until the 
old fellow was almost beside himself, and then 
I told him that I wanted a tree just like that, 
and he was very glad to take me where I could 
get one, and so my ridge pole was secured. I 
found out later that the other tree marked the 
grave of some one, and thus the great excite- 
ment. I succeeded in nearly completing the 
framework of the house, and I shall be glad 
when it is finished. I gave the natives an exhi- 
bition on the horizontal bar, which pleased 
them very much. The Lord is graciously keep- 
ing me day by day, and these people, despite 
their present opposition, are going to come in. 
March 14th. — Saturday. — Finished the frame- 
work of the house, and put most of the grass on 
to-day. One of the chiefs came to sell me some 
beans, and we agreed on the price, four hands 
of cloth. I measured the cloth, but he did not 
seem satisfied, and so he undertook to measure 



70 PROMOTED. 

it himself. He deliberately folded the cloth 
double, and then measured it, making eight 
hands instead of four, and he went off in a rage 
because I declined to give it ! Another came 
to sell me sweet potatoes, and I tried him with 
such trade goods as I had, but we could not 
strike a bargain. I then offered him a small 
pasteboard box that I carried candles in, and 
this seemed to strike his fancy, and so the pota- 
toes were purchased. Another chief brought 
me a present of milk, bananas, and "mwele," 
as a present, and so things move on. 

March 17th. — Got the house almost completed 
to-day, also made a table, and I am almost 
ready for the reception of Bro. Hotchkiss. 

March 18th. — Put a mud and sand floor in the 
house to-day, and cut enough grass and wood 
to put up another house. Bro. Hotchkiss arrived 
about 5.15 p. I!., a little tired after the journey. 
He seems pleased with his little house, and we 
had a precious time in prayer together. Finished 
Luke's Gospel, and I am enjoying the "Life of 
Christ" as never before. 

March 19th. — Had a long, hard day's work, 
but it is blessed to remember, when feeling 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 77 

specially tired and weary, that Jesus Himself 
was tired when He sat on the well. In the 
early morning took Bro. H. to see the new site 
for station. At 8.40 a. m. I bade him good-bye, 
commending him to the tender mercy of God, 
and took my departure with seven men and 
Faraji, my boy. 

March 22d. — We continued on our way to the 
S. W. through Kilala, which is quite well popu- 
lated, fairly supplied with timber, and apparently 
very fertile. At noon we rounded a hill called 
Kilala, and traveled through Kilungu W. S. W. 
At 1.20 we crossed the Keita, and camped on 
the west bank. This is a much favored district, 
having plenty of water and timber sufficient for 
all purposes. During the afternoon I walked 
about to find out the density of the population, 
and am much impressed to build a station 
here. 

From the position of the villages in Ukamba, 
it is evident to me that these people will never 
be reached by European missionaries. You 
find villages hid away in the cliffs of most of the 
hill, five, six, and seven thousand feet high; 
the work must be done by native evangelists. 



78 " PROMOTED." 

Lord hasten the day when we shall see some 
among the Wakamba. Read through the Book 
of Acts before going to bed; what a wonderful 
record of the Holy Ghost's work." 



CHAPTER XII. 

1 JFear tbou not, for 1T am wftb tbee, be not Ms* 
mageD for 1T am tbg ©o&,"— isa xii: 10. 

EAVING Kilungu on March 23d he crossed 
over the Ngeti hills (6,000 feet high) and 
was not long in reaching Nzawi Station. 

After a brief illness he started off once more 
on the 28th to Kilungu with the purpose of 
opening another mission, then back again on 
the 6th of April, finding one of the missionaries 
in a very critical condition with fever. His 
sister being pretty well exhausted from con- 
stant attending on the invalid, he took matters 
into his own hands and sat (as had his custom 
often been) by the bedside night after night, 
and when exhausted with this extra service 
would endeavor to recall all the promises he 
could bring to mind of God's faithfulness, re- 
joicing in the fact that He was able to make all 
grace abound, and thus continue bravely on in 
his course. 

On April nth, feeling sure by the rapid prog- 
ress to health made by the sick one, it was safe 



to again leave Nzawi, he started back to Ki- 
lungu, arriving there 2:30 (having decided 
where to build). The same day he was greeted 
by some messengers with the information that 
he must move the station to another place, as 
the ground he had selected was sacred to that 
special tribe who inhabited those regions. He 
ordered them, however, to bring the chief to 
where he was, so that they might arrive at a 
better understanding. 

For two or three days being very feverish, 
even sick (probably through the result of eat- 
ing some spoiled food, which was the only thing 
to be had then) he was obliged to lie by for a 
short space of time, and during those days he 
occupied the moments by feasting upon the 
Book of Malachi, and well he might, for as far 
as he was personally concerned all his tithes 
were in the storehouse, and he had a right 
through obedience to God to look for his con- 
tinual outpouring of blessing. 

A beautiful site was at last chosen in that 
thickly populated district on the borders of the 
Kilungu River for the third station to be 
planted in the name and for the sake of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 8l 

The following day he made a firm friend of 
one of the head men of the place by giving him 
an empty Liebeg Beef Extract jar, and on the 
18th of April several got to work, and in a few 
hours a small house, 12x18, was hastily erected, 
and after Mr. Krieger came to take charge of 
that station he started homeward, finding 
things in a much better condition than when he 
left. The buckwheat previously planted was 
then in bloom, very pretty, and promised to 
yield a good crop. Their vegetables, such as 
string beans, squash, beets, etc., were also doing 
fairly well ; and though they recognized the 
fact that a good garden would soon cut down 
many of their expenses, yet, under his direc- 
tion, it was so ordered that only a little more 
than what they would actually require should 
be raised, in order to give all the more time in 
preparing to preach the Gospel of Christ to 
those who are lost. 

The ladies' house of brick at Nzawi consisted 
of two bedrooms and a dining-room, furnished 
with the little necessary things in which they 
each added their taste, making, with the aid 
of pictures, the rooms look very homelike in 



82 



PROMOTED. 



many ways. The second brick house built was 
very ingeniously planned, near to which stood 
the large grass house, which had been divided 
into three rooms, with two sleeping apartments, 
and a storehouse in it. A small grass house 
close by was occupied by Mr. Scott himself. 
Besides this there were four huts, which com- 
pleted the buildings, 

The school was started under the charge of 
his devoted sister, Margaret, and it was refresh- 
ing, he states, to hear from time to time the 
correct quotations of passages of Scripture, 
and familiar tunes from the Songs of Zion, sung 
by these young boys. 

Also a dispensary was begun where numbers 
flocked to be treated, and were most success- 
fully by that same earnest Christian sister and 
helper. 

A short time after this their quiet was broken 
into, the cause of the interruption being 
a fight, occasioned by a young man of that 
District, who had become infatuated with a 
certain young woman, wanting to have her as 
his wife, negotiations having been entered into 
and bargains made (as every woman in Uxamba 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 83 

is worth so many goats), this one was sup- 
posed to bring fifty- four, and he did not con- 
sider the price too high. In the meantime, 
however, another man came upon the scene of 
action, willing to pay fifty-four for the woman 
of his choice, and it was none other than the 
same person before offered for. They met, 
with about thirty more men, and a great deal of 
" Lembo " (a native intoxicant) was consumed. 
Finding the woman preferred to go with the 
second man, the first one desired to have his 
goats returned, ending in a free fight and 
drawn swords. Out at once upon the scene 
appeared Mr. Scott and Mr. Severn, seized the 
ring-leaders, and led them off prisoners out of 
the fray for fear of bloodshed. There had been 
a fight of a similar character a couple of weeks 
before, and as he had the task of sewing up the 
hand and arm of one of these warriors, they de- 
sired to save any unnecessary suffering, and 
succeeded in pacifying them to such an extent 
that matters were arranged satisfactorily 
later on. 

On May 24th they had the pleasure of a visit 
from Mr. John Ainsworth (who has extended to 



84 



M PROMOTED. 



them very many courtesies), on his way to 
Kilungu to get the transport system thoroughly 
reorganized. 

On June nth the Driver Ants began to pay 
all those at Nzawi a most troublesome visita- 
tion, driving some of them out of their houses in 
the middle of the night. In referring to them 
in his diary he writes that: 

June nth. — "The Driver Ants paid us a 
visit and at i a.m. drove Bros. Wilson and Sev- 
ern from their house, and they came seeking 
refuge in mine. In the morning, when we 
made an examination, we found that they had 
also gotten into our fowl-house, and imagine 
our astonishment when we found ten dead 
chickens lying on the ground. 'Go to the ant, 
thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise/ 
Prov. vi :6. 'The ants are a people not strong, 
yet they prepare their meat in the summer.' 
Prov. xxx:25« At home we can scarcely gather 
the full meaning of these texts of Scripture, 
because one has not the opportunity of watch- 
ing these voracious little creatures; but just 
think! driving two men before them and leav- 
ing ten dead fowls on the field of action! It 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT* 8$ 

seems somewhat strange that they always make 
their raids in the night. I found the same 
thing on the Congo; for they invariably drove 
me out between midnight and two o'clock in 
the morning. No doubt people wonder why we 
should run from such ' little things,' but im- 
agine yourself covered with crabs, and you 
have the same sensation as with the ants; they 
draw blood with their bite sometimes, and if 
you are unfortunate enough to get half a hun- 
dred on you at one time, you are a mortal to be 
pitied. One can learn many precious lessons 
from the ants. I do not mean to say that you 
learn the lessons during the raid, and especially 
not when you are busily engaged disentangling 
yourself from their close embrace, unless it be 
an opportunity for learning a lesson in patience 
and controlling your temper. But when the 
daylight begins to dawn, and you see this vast 
army, commanded by their generals, majors, 
captains and lieutenants, gathered together in 
line, about an inch wide, and each little creature 
hurrying past with all the speed they can com- 
mand, some of them carrying off their wounded, 
dead and dying, and the others laden with the 



86 

spoil of battle, you are compelled to admit, 'I 
can learn a lesson from thee, little one/ and 
that is, 'united effort.' Oh that the whole 
church of Christ were thus banded together, to go 
forth in the name of her Lord and Master and 
attack all the strongholds of Satan, fearing not 
to attack the very strongest citadel, though 
there be, 'giants in the land!' But no; her 
forces are divided; she is rent asunder by sect 
and schism, and while she is quibbling over 
some man-made dogma, and many of those who 
are called shepherds of the flock are tearing, 
or trying to tear down the foundation of God's 
building by attempting to prove to us that 
Moses did not write the Pentateuch, and that 
every Scripture is not given by inspiration of 
God, millions are going on in the error of their 
way without even having heard the blessed 
name of Jesus. The Devil will have gained a 
great victory if he can only keep the church of 
Christ divided against itself. God grant that 
the body of Christ may be 'knit together in 
love/ and joined in the bonds of peace, and go 
forth as one man to the 'uttermost part' of 
the earth, conquering and to conquer. Much 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 87 

might be said about these little things, but I 
will leave you to imagine. Our minds need to 
be stayed on Him, for the days are evil, and He 
only is able to keep. My prayer for myself 
these days is that of Paul, found in Philippians 
i:2o, that 'Christ shall be magnified in my body, 
whether it be by life or by death.' " 



CHAPTER XIII. 

" %et us Draw neat veitb a true beart in tutl aasur* 
ance of faitb/'— Heb. x: 22. 

DURING these days of great testings, trials 
and blessings, while thus so faithfully 
engaged, and judiciously planning the 
future work, God was preparing other mission- 
aries to shortly follow in his footsteps. A 
party consisting of Mr. and Mrs. John Scott, 
their daughter Ina, Rev. and Mrs. Thomas A. 
Allen, Mr. Jacob S. Toole, Mr. John W. Codd, 
and Miss Edwards from Scotland, was formed. 
Their farewell meetings were held in Phila- 
delphia, Brooklyn and Scotland. On the 13th 
day of June, from New York, they started forth 
to catch the steamer leaving London July 10th 
for Mombasa. All during their trip God again 
most decidedly showed His approval of the 
steps they had taken, keeping them not only in 
health, but delivering them from many little 
disturbances by the way. They arrived there 
August 7th, and were obliged for some time to 
remain in that place on account of the difficulty 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 89 

in procuring carriers, as a railroad being built 
into the interior required as many men as pos- 
sible in its construction. 

Through the kindness of the Administrator 
of Mombasa, Mr. Crawford, one of the govern- 
ment houses was offered to this new party for 
their occupancy. 

Surmounting many difficulties the party at 
last set forth, and with the exception of Mrs. 
Scott (who had suffered greatly, and was still, 
upon arriving, in a very weakened condition) 
they reached Nzawi in almost comparative 
health and strength, though most all having 
had several touches of the fever by the way. 
At last this family, so called of God to the for- 
eign field, was united once more. 

Shortly after the recovery of Mrs. Scott, it 
was deemed advisable to open up still another 
station, of which a full account is given in Mr. 
Scott's yearly report, making in all, four stations 
within the short space of eleven months. 

God has indeed most marvelously owned 
this Work from its very beginning, and the re- 
port of which surely cannot but incite in all 
hearts a deep interest in this and other moye- 



90 " PROMOTED. 

ments to spread the Gospel in the land of such 
heathenism. 

If we will but keep in close fellowship with 
the Lord Jesus Christ, walking continually in 
the newness of life, with but one purpose in 
view, to glorify God, He will indeed but avail 
Himself of such opportunities to cause the 
ones so trusting much encouragement and de- 
light in His service as they recognize His handi- 
work in the accomplishment of His purposes. 

Surely the example set forth by this young 
disciple of the Lord can never be obliterated 
from the memory of those who knew and loved 
him, and the prayer of their hearts is that 
others, too, with them, may go forth and do 
likewise, whether at home or abroad, with an 
eye single to the glory of that God in whom he 
so fully and implicitly trusted. 

On February 4th, the most unexpected 
news arrived of Mr. Scott's sudden departure 
from this life. The grief of our hearts cannot 
well be expressed in words, and in this, the time 
of sorrow, it seems almost inexplicable to un- 
derstand why he should have been thus sud- 



LIFE SKETCH OF P» CAMERON SCOTT. 91 

denly cut off— being so useful, so fully conse- 
crated to the Master's service, and accomplish- 
ing- such^ra*/ things for the Kingdom, not only 
in the establishing of the missions already 
stated above, but being so divinely used to the 
encouragement of the faith in the lives of those 
he was associated with in Africa, and through 
the accounts of which, from time to time, was 
so helpful and blessed to those in the home- 
land, stirring one and all into a greater activity 
and deeper union with God; but as the Word 
has prophesied that "What we know not now 
we shall know hereafter," we must leave the 
seeming mystery in the hands of Him who 
doeth all things well, and in His strength allow 
this very sorrow to be so sanctified to all our 
lives that we may, through it, press forward all 
the more determinedly to the prize of our high 
calling in Christ Jesus, while availing ourselves 
of every opportunity offered for the spreading 
of the Gospel abroad. 

The closing days spent upon earth by this 
honored young disciple were but a repetition — 
even though in great weakness of body — of his 
constancy to God when in health, thinking and 



9* 

planning up to the last for the cause of Christ 
and the welfare of others, while being lovingly 
nursed by his precious mother (whose very ex- 
ample of yielding her all to the Master from 
his very infancy, and crowning it by joining her 
children upon that dark land for the same pur- 
pose that sent them forth, has not only proved 
to his own heart an inspiration continually but 
should be a loud call to thousands of mothers to 
give their best to God and for the salvation of 
the world.) 

The description of those latter days spent 
upon earth of that dear young Superintendent, 
is one most glorious testimony of the power of 
God's all. sufficiency. 

From the very first of that illness, when com- 
petted through suffering and increased weak- 
ness to resort to his bed, no look of death nor 
dread marred his countenance, and when con- 
scious, his one theme was the grandeur and 
glory of the Better Land. 

Surely the richest of His grace had been vic- 
toriously entered into, for even while during the 
hours of his delirium, Jesus, and only Jesus, 
occupied his thoughts. 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 93 

Once at such a time his attention was diverted 
by the repeating of a text of Scripture, and 
hearing one of the workers in the room saying : 
" Let me see, where is that to be found ? I've 
forgotten ? " He called out gently, but with 
authority, in his native tongue, " Oh ! if yeVe 
only got it in yer heid, it'll no dae ye muckle 
guid." What a lesson ! not only for those sor- 
rowing hearts who listened with tearful faces, 
but for all who may read these pages. 

Upon another occasion he imagined he must 
go home, and was expected to speak at some 
gathering, but was concerned about what he 
should say while urging his mother to accom- 
pany him. When she quietly remonstrated by 
telling him he was too weak ; after a moment 
of silence he replied, " Well ma, I've got the 
thought now, you will go with me, and can sit 
beside me and hold me up, and then the Lord 
will fill me." 

On his diary was found entered on the 23d of 
November, these words : si Another very weak 
spell to-day, in fact, I seemed to feel near the 
gate that leads to the " Beyond," but God was 
there. I did feel to depart and be with Christ 



94 U PROMOTED. 

would be far better, so far as I was concerned, 
and yet I desire to live for the extension of Thy 
kingdom Lord. 

* * * * * 

This day, and several preceding- ones, should 
have been spent in bed, but being so ambi- 
tious, and full of zeal, he kept up at his 
work for hours at a time, but was finally 
obliged to succumb, and though too ill to again 
arise, his voice was heard continually delivering 
many God-given messages, and though often 
but feebly spoken, the impressions made upon 
those who listened were for Eternity. 

He dwelt also much upon the responsibility 
which rested upon all in regard to u redeeming 
the time," stating ''although many say I am 
rather extreme upon these lines that don't mat- 
ter, for our Saviour's own words are good 
enough for me." Yes, even through sickness 
and suffering, steadily did he press towards the 
mark for the prize of the high calling of God in 
Christ Jesus. " To sum it all up, it could be 
justly put that, that courageous and consistent 
life was in every particular ' separated unto the 
Gospel of God,' " not in words alone, but in 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 95 

very act. This was even recognized by the 
poor heathen boys he possessed such an influ- 
ence over on his Station, who proved their 
loyalty so often to him, when after being ab- 
sent for a few days upon catching sight of him 
returning over the hills, even at a distance, they 
would rush to meet him with faces all aglow 
with the love of their young hearts shouting 
"Bwana" (Master). 

About an hour or so before passing into the 
presence of His Lord, he audibly prayed for 
those present, and whom he loved, then calling 
each one by name who were standing by the 
bed, asked, " Are your hands off ? " (One of his 
favorite modes of expression when desiring to 
illustrate that God could never do effective work 
until everything was fully surrendered and 
hands withdrawn, O, if this could but be kept 
indellibly impressed upon every heart, a greater 
dependence upon Him whose name we bear, 
would be the result, to say nothing of what it 
would all mean "to the praise of His glory. " 

Upon each in turn answering, " Yes, Peter,'' 
he appeared satisfied, and after a second or so 
of silence, after definitely claiming before them 



9 6 " PROMOTED." 

all a very conscious sense of the everlasting 
arras of the Lord of Hosts being round about 
him, he triumphantly entered into the Eternal 
City on that 4th day of December, 1896. 

After the power of speech had departed, just 
before breathing his last, his lips were seen to 
move repeatedly, as if holding communion with 
the unseen, and the occasional smile which 
would light up his face to almost radiancy, con- 
vinced those who were so tenderly regarding 
him, that his eye was indeed beholding in recog- 
nition those dear to his heart who had gone 
before, and were then awaiting his coming into 
the presence of the Lord he so devotedly loved 
and for whom he so incessantly labored. 

May all who read this little book, prayerfully 
hold before God ; his fond parents, and sisters, 
also their co-laborers now still upon the field,that 
they may be ever kept in such close touch 'with 
Him as to receive abundantly of His comfort, 
strength, and grace, and thus through this 
sore affliction now experienced, be all the better 
equipped to carry out the thought born of the 
Holy Ghost, to be accomplished for dark Africa 
in the heart of their Christ-like son, Superin- 
tendent and Leader. 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 97 

Before giving the First Annual Report of the 
Africa Inland Mission, by the one we so hon- 
ored, it would be well to present the following 
letter, written by his loved Sister Margaret, 
which to even a most skeptical mind, upon 
perusing it, could not but be convinced of the 
existence of a God, and One who knows well how 
to comfort and uphold those that put their trust 
in Him. Indeed "The Lord is good, a stronghold 
in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them 
that trust in Him," Nahumi : 7: 

Nzawi Ukamba, 
B. E. Africa, 

10th Dec, 1896. 
To the Philadelphia Missionary Council of the 
A. /. M: 
" Grace be to you, and peace from God our 
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed 
be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of 
all comfort ; who comf orteth us in all our tribu- 
lation, that we may be able to comfort them 
which are in any trouble by the comfort where- 
with we ourselves are comforted of God." 



98 t€ PROMOTED." 

How shall I put into words all that is in my 
heart to write you of the hand of our God and 
Father who has been so manifestly in our midst, 
and who has taken unto Himself our leader and 
our captain, my beloved brother Peter ? We 
hardly realize it here yet, because our lives 
have been so busy in these last few days, but 
his voice is still, his presence is no more among 
us, his grave, as we pass out and in, speaks to 
us of his rest and peace, and our hearts cry out 
in their sorrow and anguish for the comfort 
which only God our Father can and does bestow. 
To you who knew him so well, I need not say 
that he was faithful to the death, for his life 
was one continual round of service for the Mas- 
ter he loved so well, and looking at it humanly, 
one might say his life was worn out by exces- 
sive toil and labor of every kind. When he left 
me at Kangundo, he made a rapid march back 
to Nzawi, because of the critical condition in 
which we left Mr. Wilson. He was then at- 
tacked with severe pains and vomiting, and for 
three weeks it was a continuance of days of 
relief when he would work with his might, and 
days of sickness and suffering. When it seemed 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 99 

advisable for him to return to America on busi- 
ness, he made preparations for another visit to 
Kangundo, and also to look over Kikuyu, where 
he hoped to shortly plant another station. 
vSeveral times the day was set for his departure, 
but each time he was overtaken with weakness, 
and on the very day that the dread Haematuria 
made its presence manifest, everything was 
arranged for his leaving for Kangundo on the 
morrow. Everything that could be done for 
him was done lovingly and tenderly by those 
who nursed him, and he was not left alone for 
an instant. But it was God's opportunity, and 
He desired the presence of the servant in the 
household of the King, and so the call was 
gladly obeyed on Friday, December 4th, about 

5 P - M - 

The day of his death he would not let mother 
out of his sight, and asked her if she was ready to 
go with him, and when she replied, " Yes, my 
son," he said, " I am only waiting for you." 
Shortly before he passed away, he asked each 
one around his bed if they had taken their 
hands off, and when he got a reply in the 
affirmative, he "said, " Let us go then." "Where 
to, Peter ? " " To the Eternal City." 



ICC 



Then raising his thin arm, he said, ' I warn 
the arm of the Lord of E : s:s around me," and 
he passed into the presence :: Him who never 
denied the request of His child. 

When mother spoke of sending for father 
and myself, he only laughed, and said he was all 
right, but finally she dispatched three men on 
Monday night, November 30th, but they did not 
arrive at Kangundountil Thursday eve . andwe 
left next morning (Friday shortly after 6 
o'clock. The natives were all busy with their 
shambas so we could not hire any, and had to 
take all the men from the station for our seventy 
r^i.es ;:umev. "• T ."t r::.r:.zti \::r_ :l un::l :::e 
men were worn out, and camped for the night, 
starting early next morning. We had proceeded 
on our way about two hours when we met an 
Asakari from Nzawi, bringing a note from Mr. 
K., who was on the way to meet us, and saying 
tha: Peter was very low. I had been worn out 
with the long journey of the day before, and 
two of the men were carrying me in the ham- 
mock, but I got out immediately, and father 
and I sped over the road, leaving the men far 
behind. When we reached Mikungami, Mr. K. 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. IOI 

had returned to Nzawi, leaving three men for 
the hammock journey through the river. As 
we passed Kilungu we knew that Peter had 
passed away, and so we hurried on, losing our 
way several times in the darkness, but finally 
reached Nzawi about 8 p. m., where we found 
Messrs. Codd and Wilson, Misses Edwards and 
Lindberg, preparing a coffin for him, which was 
made of boxes and covered with white mus- 
lin, decorated with white flowers. It was a 
great shock to us, but God has upheld us won- 
derfully, and has given His own words of peace 
and power to father and mother. 

The services were held on Sabbath at 10 a. m. 
all the men and boys being present to look on 
the face of him they loved so well. The four 
boys carried him out across the lawn, and he is 
now lying with his face to the East, just outside 
of his little grass house, where I am sitting. He 
awaits the voice of the Bridegroom, and when 
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ 
shall rise first, he shall be satisfied, for in his 
body he shall see Him whom his soul loveth. 

As he said to you in his last letter, " The 
great Nzawi Peak has been called the gateway 



102 



to Central Africa," so now the first stepping 
stone has been laid inside the gateway, and God 
has seen fit to bestow that honor upon our head 
and director. The corn of wheat has fallen into 
the ground, it has been watered with tears and 
prayers, and now God shall bring forth fruit 
into perfection. I cannot speak of the trial it 
is to us as a family, and what it will mean to the 
work I know not, but this I know — the same 
God reigneth, and He who hath begun a good 
work will perform it unto the day of Christ. 
Although my heart is crushed, I would not ask 
it to be otherwise, for continually I hear His 
voice saying, " Beloved, it is well" * The added 
labor and responsibility is great, and at times I 
cry out, " I am not able for these things," but 
the reply is always the same, " My strength is 
made perfect in weakness" And now what can 
I say more? Your support, your prayers are 
needed more than ever, for we are in a trying 
time. 

On Thursday morning he asked mother to 
draw back the curtain from the window that he 
might see the Nzawi hills, and when she had 
done so, he said, " Well, the language of my 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 103 

heart this morning is the 107th Psalm," and 
with a face lit up by the Spirit of the Lord, he 
said, " Oh, that we would praise the Lord for 
His goodness, and for His wonderful works to 
the children of men." " Let the redeemed of 
the Lord say so." Let me give you his last 
entry in his diary: 

" Nov. 27th. — A goat was sacrificed to-day by 
the old men in the grove. It was an interest- 
ing as well as a pathetic sight to find out the 
idea they have of God. After cutting the 
throat of the animal, they caught the blood in a 
calabash and began cutting the goat up in 
pieces. A large pot was put on the fire, and 
the principal part of the animal put on to stew, 
other parts laid on the open fire to roast. Every 
part of the animal was eaten, except the hide 
and the little they buried in the ground at the 
foot of the tree — God's tree, as they term it, I 
noticed afterward that they even ate part of the 
hide, hair and all. Their offering to-day 
seemed to be one of thanksgiving for the rain, 
but they were also beseeching God to spare 
their cattle (many of them apparently dying 
lately),and to preserve their crop of corn (a grub 



104 

having begun to eat it). They cut small portions 
of each part of the animal, wrapped it in a 
piece of hide cut from the head, with three of 
the grubs which had been eating the corn, 
together with some blood, milk, and native 
flour, and after digging a hole at the foot of the 
Milungus tree, they put in the offering, pouring 
the blood over the whole, all the while mutter- 
ing these words: l O God, send us food and 
rain, but let famine and sickness go far away. 
Preserve our cattle and our corn, and give us a 
plentiful harvest. Our people have been pre- 
served from coughs and from sickness. O God 
we love Thee, and you love our people.' After 
their ceremony, they returned to the pot and 
began gormandizing themselves, eight men 
consuming the whole creature, not excepting 
the intestines. The stomach they ate raw, and 
without washing. One is particularly struck 
at the absolute lack of selfishness in the division 
of the meat, and the matter of fact way they go 
about everything. When I asked them why the 
women were not asked to partake of the feast, 
they said that women were like porters (virtu- 
ally slaves), and they could only share when it 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 105 

was too much for the men to finish. They 
have hazy ideas of God, but, O how far from 
the truth. They imagine that God comes and 
speaks to the old men at night. The sighing of 
the wind in the boughs of a tree might be to 
them the voice of God." 

" Can we whose souls are lighted 
With wisdom from on high, 
Can we, to men benighted, 
The lamp of life deny ? " 

" Here am I, Lord, use me in life or death! " 

The Lord shall grant his petition, and who 
knows but that on the day when the jewels are 
made up, even some of these may be met in 
His presence. 

May the Lord teach us how to be faithful in 
word and in deed, so that we may not be 
ashamed at His appearing. 

There is much that I might write, but words 
are poor at such a time, and only God can 
understand, and continually I hear Him say, 
11 It is well/' 



io6 



PROMOTED. 



Beloved, " It is well, it is well, 
' ■ It is well." 
God's ways are always right, and love is o'er them 
all," ' 

Tho' far above our sight, 
11 It is well, it is well." 
Beloved, " It is well, it is well," 
"It is well." 
Though deep and sore the smart, He wounds who 
knows to bind 

And heal the broken heart. 

14 It is well, it is well," etc., etc. 

As our days our strength shall be, and He is 
faithful, so " Until the day break and the 
shadows flee away," we shall follow on in His 
footsteps, so that we may be found worthy to 
receive Him at His coming. 

Yours in such an aim, 

Margaret C. Scott. 



First Annual Report of Supt, P. ,Cameron 
Scott. 

" But this I say, the time is short; it remaineth that 
both they that have wives be as though they had none; 
and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. I07 

that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that 
that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that 
use this world, as not abusing it; for the fashion of this 
world passeth away. But I would have you without 
carefulness." — I Cor. vii: 29-32. 

" My heart is filled with wonder, love, and 
praise, as I sit down and review the past year 
of our labors in this land, to which God, by His 
grace, hath called us. Just one year ago we 
were making active preparations for our depar- 
ture from Mombasa, where we left Nov. 12, 
1895, to wend our way into the unknown and 
untried mysteries of the interior. We went out 
" not knowing," but our God led us forth by a 
"right way," and brought us to "a city of 
habitation." 

We had no idea as to where we might be 
allowed to settle, whether in the far interior or 
in close proximity to the coast. The two 
questions that we had to face were these: 

I. If we settled within a hundred miles of the 
coast we might conflict with other societies who 
had an established work for many years, viz.: 
The Church Missionary Society (who gave us 
such a hearty welcome on our arrival), the Wes- 



io8 

leyan Methodist, the German Lutheran, and the 
Roman Catholic Missions. Of course, although 
these four agencies are at work, yet within a 
hundred-mile limit there is much unoccupied 
territory, and one could very easily justify 
themselves in saying: " Here is the first great 
need," but when you compare this with the 
great untouched territory lying beyond, one 
could but come to this conclusion, viz.: "We 
will leave this field for our brethren, and press 
forward." 

II. In going on into the interior, is it wise to 
cut ourselves off from communication with the 
coast ? This question was settled very easily, 
as we had brought a good supply of stores with 
us, and had also secured good agents at the 
coast to forward to us from time to time sup- 
plies as they might be needed. Both of these 
questions being answered, and having "counted 
the cost," we were ready to face whatever 
might meet us in the way, whether of joy or 
sorrow. 

In penning these lines, I cannot help but ex- 
press our heartfelt gratitude to all with whom 
we have had dealings since our arrival; to her 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. IO9 

Britannic Majesty's Consul at Zanzibar, to Her 
Majesty's Commissioner at Mombasa, the Church 
Missionary Society, our agents, Messrs. Smith, 
Mackenzie & Co., and Her Majesty's Sub-Com- 
missioner and Vice-Consul of Ukamba, John 
Ainsworth, Esq. All of these in one way and 
another, have given most valuable advice, and 
rendered aid in such a manner, that we cannot 
but say, " Our lines have fallen in pleasant 
places." 

We were a party of eight — three women and 
five men. On Nov. 12, 1895, the five men of 
the party left Mombasa to look for a site, the 
ladies remaining at the coast in the Church 
Missionary Society's House, where they could 
have an opportunity of studying Ki-Swahili. 

We wandered about for one month, and on 
Dec. 14, 1895, we fixed upon Nzawi as the place 
where we would begin our labors. After a long 
palaver, with the natives, a site was chosen, and 
building operations began immediately. Our 
first structure was a grass house, 15x30 feet, 
which was much more comfortable and commo- 
dious than our tents. The site chosen was a 
very good one, with one exception, viz., a 



110 " PROMOTED." 

scarcity of timber, not or building pur- 

poses, but for shade as well. We are on a little 
hill in Xzawi valley, around which flows the 
Xzawi River, and again we are surrounded by 
hills, all in the neighborhood of 6,000 feet; and 
to the Southeast stands Xzawi Peak, which 
Capt. Lngard calls the door to Africa, " The 
massive granite sentinel that guards the gate to 
the heart of Africa.'' 

Leaving the four brethren to begin operations 
for a permanent brick structure. I hastened 
back to the coast to make arrangements for the 
removal of the ladies into the interior. I made 
the journey of 25c miles in nine days, and found 
my sister just recovering from her first conflict 
with African fever. Owing to the scarcity oi 
porters, I was detained at the coast much longer 
than I had anticipated; this scarcity being 
caused by the rebellion of Mbaruk and 3,000 
followers against the British Government, all 
the available men being utilized as porters in 
the expeditions against him. On Jan. 17. Frere 
Town 1 : was attacked, where our 

ladies were staying. I shouldered my rifle, 
crossed with the troops, and joined in the de- 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. Ill 

fense. The enemy was soon put to flight, and 
pursued for several miles. Although on the 
field of action I did not fire a shot. 

During my stay at the coast I found it neces- 
sary to send one of the ladies of our party 
home, reducing the number to seven. On 
Feb. 3, with a caravan of no men, we once 
more bade good-bye to the comforts of civiliza- 
tion and started for the interior, this time 
having a settled point toward which we might 
steer our caravan. We arrived Feb. 28, found 
the brethren well, and a brick house well nigh 
completed. We were rejoiced to be together 
once more, and also glad to find the natives still 
continued friendly. 

In view of the magnitude of the field, and the 
largeness of our party, it was deemed advisable 
to open another station as soon as possible. 
With this end in view I set off once more on 
caravan, striking off in an E. N. E. direction, 
and on the nth of March came into the district 
of Sakai, where I pitched my camp, surrounded 
by a howling, angry mob. They were at first 
very much opposed to my project of building, 
but after much trial of faith, the work was 



112 " PROMOTED. 

begun in Sakai, and on the 18th of March, Mr. 
Hotchkiss came over from Nzawi to take charge 
of the station, and occupy the little grass house 
that had been built for his reception. 

Leaving Sakai, I traveled for several days 
through Kibouni, Kiwaki, Kilala, and into Ki- 
lungu, arriving at Nzawi on the 23d of March. 
Still feeling that our force at Nzawi was more 
than sufficient, we decided once more to u en- 
large the place of our tent, and stretch forth 
the curtains of our habitation," and in accord- 
ance with this thought, we left headquarters 
and set out for Kilungu on April nth, where 
we arrived the same day. A beautiful site was 
chosen and granted. The district is thickly 
populated and extensively cultivated. Flowing 
in front of the station is the Kilungu River, 
while behind towers Kilungu Peak, 6,500 feet 
high. A small grass house 12 x 18 was hastily 
thrown up, and on the 18th Mr. Krieger came 
over to take charge of the work, and ever since 
its establishment we have much reason to 
praise God, for since our food supply has failed 
at Nzawi, we have been abundantly supplied 
from Kilungu by Mr. Krieger; and this records 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 113 

the opening of our third station, "Marvelous 
are Thy works, O Lord/' 

Time passed on. From month to month en- 
couraging reports came from the different 
stations. 

On July 22nd we were called once more to 
Mombasa; this time to meet our second party 
of missionaries, eight in number, among whom 
were my parents and sister, thus making an en- 
tire family on the field. We were also favored 
by the addition of one from the Glasgow Bible 
Training Institute, the others being from the 
Pennsylvania Bible Institute. The party ar- 
rived August 7th, and being detained some time 
at the coast, we did not reach Nzawi until Sep- 
tember 2 2d. On our arrival we were glad to 
find all well and the work in all its branches 
able to report progress. 

I feel that the coming of my parents 
to this land is something quite new in the 
annals of missionary history. We sometimes 
hear of people advanced in years breaking up 
their homes to seek a fortune, but seldom, if 
ever, do we hear of those who are classed as 
the wazee (aged) selling out all that they have, 



114 PROMOTED. 

and coming to such a land as Africa to lift up 
Jesus without any thought of ever returning to 
the mother country again. May God signally 
bless and use them in the declining years of 
their lives, and may they be kept for His use. 

The party was divided, some going to Kil- 
lungu, others to Sakai, some remaining at 
Nzawi. Here again we found the family too large 
and God in the meantime had made a providen- 
tial opening for its division. For a long time 
the people in the district of Kangundu, seventy 
miles north of here, were in rebellion against 
the British authorities. A military post was es- 
tablished in the district, and soon the people 
were brought to terms, and the force withdrawn 
to Machakos. During the campaign, a rough 
wattle and daub structure had been thrown up 
to serve as a dwelling house for the officers. 
Her Majesty's Sub-Commissioner writing me 
about this place, spoke of its population, fertil- 
ity, and other points of interest, making it a 
good center for missionary work; and offered 
the place as it stood, for a rental of five rupees 
($1.50) per year. We felt that this was simply 
giving it away, and our minds were soon made 
up to accept this kind offer. 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 115 

On September 29th, in company with my 
father and Mr. Severn, we set out to open the 
fourth station, arriving at Kangundu October 
3d. Mwana Muka gave us a cordial reception, 
bringing as presents a large bull which we were 
to kill and eat, also a cow to supply us with 
milk. We found the place exceeded our ex- 
pectations, as it is perhaps the most fertile spot 
we have seen from the coast up. It is at an ele- 
vation of 5,500 feet, shut in by hills, which shel- 
ter from the strong evening breezes. A few 
miles to the north can be seen Donyo Sabuk, in 
the midst of the Althi Plains, the old camping 
ground of the Massai warriors, while one hund- 
red miles to the north can be seen the snow- 
capped Mount Kenia." 

On Oct. 7th. — We got in a good day's work on 
the house and in the garden, and succeeded in 
getting quite a large piece of ground dug up 
and an assortment of seeds planted. 

On Oct. 10th. — I left in the morning after a 
precious season of prayer with father and Mr. 
Severn. I decided to leave all beaten tracks, and 
steer a straight course for Nzawi, which I found 
afterwards shortened the road considerably. 



Il6 " PROMOTED." 

Reached Mr. Watts' house at 10:10 a.m., where I 
stopped and had a bite of lunch with them, then 
went on to Machakos, thus covering twenty- 
eight miles, which is considered a big day's tramp 
in Africa. I spent a pleasant evening at the fort. 
On October nth. — "I left Machakos at 5 
a.m., intending, if possible, to reach Nzawi 
before nightfall. I visited many of the villages, 
going out of my way considerably to see parts 
of Kilungu, hitherto unvisited by me. I find a 
very large population in the hills and valleys, 
and I feel that our station is in the right place. 
Reached Nzawi at 5 p.m., having traveled fully 
forty-five miles, and I am told that this is the 
record journey in B. E. Africa. I did not travel 
to make a record, however, but only to get down 
in time to catch the mail. I thanked God, 
for the strength supplied for that day's work. 
As I neared the station, I was spied crossing the 
hills, and soon all the brethren and sisters were 
out in force to welcome the wanderer. When 
climbing the hill on which the station stands, I 
could not keep the tears back, for there was 
mother standing to welcome me as only a mother 
can. How thankful I should be (and I trust I 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 117 

am), that God has sent my parents and sisters 
here! I found all in health, and enjoying the 
fulfillment of Lam. iv:2o, " Under His shadow 
we shall live among the heathen." 

In humble dependence upon our God, we 
have moved steadily forward, no doubt in our 
blindness making many mistakes, for we are 
still human, like most other people, but we 
ascribe all praise to Him for anything that has 
been done, which can bring glory to His name, 
and honor to His cause. Four stations have 
been established and manned in less than ten 
months after our arrival in Nzawi. During this 
same period we have made brick for and 
erected six buildings, besides six good grass 
dwelling houses, also houses for men, chickens 
and goats. 

Much has also been done in the line of tilling 
the soil, but most of our effort in the beginning 
of this year came to grief, owing to the failure 
of the rains. This season, however, we got 
our seeds down in time and our hearts are glad- 
dened now to see the whole face of nature 
changed. Until the 21st of October we seemed 
to be living in the midst of a "dry parched land 



I 1 8 " PROMOTED. " 

where no water is," even the river itself had 
almost disappeared; but now, pen can hardly 
describe the beauty of the scene. Our crops 
consist of all kinds of vegetables, as well as po- 
tatoes, wheat, barley, oats and buckwheat. We 
are endeavoring, as much as possible, to make 
ourselves independent of all European supplies, 
and make the work in a measure self-support- 
ing. 

Our school work has not been large, but car- 
ried on faithfully since its inception in March. 
The school is composed of boys from various 
sections of this great Continent, for Africans are 
a migratory people. One boy is from far dis- 
tant Unyoro, another from Msangu in the South, 
two from Nyamwezi, one from Zanzibar, who 
has traveled all over the Congo, one from the 
Soudan, the others being from our own district. 
Several of these boys are supported in school 
by friends in America. My sister does not re- 
port these boys as being exceptionally brilliant, 
but faithful. They make splendid vocalists, 
however, and have phenomenal memories. 

Another branch of our work has been that of 
the Dispensary, and this has been attended with 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. II9 

many good results. Of course the principal dis- 
eases are those of the skin, and many ghastly 
looking ulcers have been cured in a remarkably 
short space of time. Many have shown their 
appreciation of the treatment, by bringing small 
presents of beans, sweet potatoes, milk and 
chickens ; and this spirit of independence we 
have tried to foster in them. Many of them 
suffer from sore eyes caused by a very bad cus- 
tom almost universally practiced by the old men, 
that of pulling out the eye-lashes. 

Our work has been distinctively that of pio- 
neering, and we have been working at a great 
disadvantage, owing to the fact that we know 
nothing of the language of the people among 
whom we have come to labor. We have been 
steadily pegging away, however, in this respect; 
the effort is being rewarded with success ; the 
" Babel " sounds are now becoming coherent 
sentences. 

The health of the missionaries : Many of us 
have had much cause for thankfulness in the 
matter of health, for while none of us have been 
free from fever, we have been troubled so little 
that the attacks are scarcely worth taking notice 



120 

of. And yet in one way or another there has 
been considerable sickness. This could scarcely 
be otherwise, owing to the great amount of 
manual labor that had to be done ; working in 
the rain, and under the heat of the tropical sun, 
turning over virgin soil, etc., all of which tend 
to endanger the health of Europeans. The dis- 
eases prevalent among us have been fever, diar- 
rhoea, dysentery, dropsy, and a serious affection 
of the heart and brain. But with the Psalmist 
we can say : " Then they cry unto the Lord in 
their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their 
distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that 
the waves thereof are still/' 

" Oh that men would praise the Lord for His 
goodness, and for His wonderful works to the 
children of men." 

And now a word might be said about the peo- 
ple, among whom we have come to labor. The 
Wakamba occupy the territory known as Ukamba 
which extends from the Tsaro River to Kikuyu. 
The population is estimated to be between four 
and 500,000. The men (a great many of them) 
are naked, with the exception of the brass wire, 
which is freely worn about their necks, arms, 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 



121 



waists, and legs. They also make very fine 
chains out of fine brass wire, and great bunches 
of these are worn in the ears. They are gener- 
ally well built fellows, tall, thin, but muscular. 
As a rule they have straight-cut features, are 
high in the forehead, and rather intelligent in 
appearance. 

The costume of the women is rather pictur- 
esque. In front they wear a small apron of 
cloth, or goat skin, about five inches long by 
seven in breadth. Behind they wear a long 
v-shaped piece of hide, which reaches to the 
knees, being split up the center ; they also wear 
an oval hide fastened over the shoulder, reach- 
ing to the hips. The women do not wear so 
much brass wire, but the quantity of beads 
some of them carry around their waists and 
necks is really wonderful. They are an agri- 
cultural people, possessing large herds of cattle 
and goats. Their manner of cultivation is de- 
cidedly crude, and their only implement is a 
long stick sharpened at the end, with which 
they turn over the soil, clear the ground,jand 
plant the seed. It is remarkable how much 
ground they can dig up in a day with one of 



122 " PROMOTED." 

these sticks. Some few have short-handled 
hoes, but these are not native. Their tool-chest 
is made up of a very few things and not hard 
to carry around ; a small ax with blade from 
one-and-a-half to two inches broad, and handle 
two feet long ; then comes a small adze, blade 
one inch long, handle two feet long ; a pair of 
pincers, and a knife. 

Their weapons of defence are chiefly the bow 
and arrow, and a long sword. 

Their houses are small conical grass huts, 
with a door so small that it is with difficulty 
you can crawl in when down on '/all fours/' 

Some may be surprised, and perhaps shocked, 
at my description of the native dress and fash- 
ions, and wonder what effect it has upon the 
mind of the missionary to live among a people 
who run about almost nude. I know this ques- 
tion arises in the minds of the people at home, 
as I had to answer it everywhere when I re- 
turned from the Congo, where I had been 
laboring for two years. Almost at once one be- 
comes so accustomed to this condition of things, 
that if the question were asked what any one 
had on, it would be impossible to tell whether 



LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. I 23 

they were decently attired, according to our 
custom, or whether they had anything on at all. 
The fact of the matter is, there is far more 
staring in the church at home, at some of the 
hideous fashions of the latter decades of the 
nineteenth century, than there could possibly 
be out here among these sons of nature. The 
women are hardworking and industrious, but 
the men are phenomenally lazy. 

What can I more say before closing this letter ? 
I have only hurriedly and very briefly run over 
the work of the year, having walked 2,600 miles 
since first leaving Mombasa,seeing many strange 
and sorrowful sights. We have had times of 
trial, also times of blessing ; times of sorrow, 
and times of joy. Patience has been put to the 
test, but God has answered prayer ; our need in 
every particular has been very great, but His 
promise has not failed. Our hearts are full of 
thanksgiving for all the marvels of His grace, 
and to Him we humbly ascribe all the praise. 

And may I not say another word to you, 
friends, in closing. Paul tells us in I. Cor. vii: 
19: "The circumcision is nothing, and uncircum- 
cission is nothing; on the contrary, a keeping 



124 PROMOTED. 

of God's commandments is every thing." (Roth- 
erham's Translation.) What is His command- 
ment ? Have ye not seen? Have ye not heard? 
It is the parting message of our Lord to His 
little band of followers. He saw, with a pitying 
eye of love, down through the centuries of time, 
a world lying in darkness; a world filled with 
anguish and woe; nations seeking after God, if 
haply they might find Him. He simply said 
" GO." Ever since that memorable day when 
the power of God lifted our Lord into the Glory, 
there has come thundering through the ages, 
that last command to the church: </ Go ye into 
all the world and preach the gospel to every 
creature." 

Hast thou gone? If not; why? 

I am yours in gospel bonds, 

P. Cameron Scott. 



Any desiring photographs of the Rev. P. 
Cameron Scott in his African suit, or in his 
ordinary clothes, can procure them for twenty- 






LIFE SKETCH OF P. CAMERON SCOTT. 1 25 

five cents each, by addressing the Penn. Bible 
Institute, 54 Lansdowne Avenue, Philadelphia, 
Pa., or Door of Hope, 102 East 61st Street, New 
York. 

Mr. Chas. E. Donle, 109 Friendship Street, 
Providence, R. I., has designed a very attractive 
little medal, with his picture and emblems en- 
graved upon it, for the same price, the proceeds 
of which, with the sale of this book, shall be de- 
voted to Africa. 





Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Oct. 2005 

i PreservationTechnoloqies I 

A WORLO LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION ' 
111 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



mm 



